Netanyahu, under legal duress, agrees to tap interior minister after year-long vacancy

Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

Under legal pressure from the High Court of Justice, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed Monday to appoint a new interior minister, following a 12-month period in which no permanent minister has filled the position.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel filed a petition to the court in December asking it to order Netanyahu to appoint a new, permanent interior minister after previous minister Moshe Arbel resigned in July 2025, when the Shas party left the coalition over the issue of ultra-Orthodox IDF enlistment.

The petition also asked the court to annul government resolutions transferring some of the interior minister’s powers to Netanyahu, who cannot serve as minister due to the ongoing corruption trial against him.

Replying to the court on behalf of the state and Netanyahu, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that Netanyahu had agreed to appoint a new interior minister “during the [current] election period,” although no date was stipulated for the appointment to be made prior to the October 27 elections.

In her update to the court, the attorney general said that the failure to appoint an interior minister and the transfer of authorities to the prime minister created practical legal difficulties, which were getting worse as time passed.

These difficulties related to authorities transferred to Netanyahu regarding elections, voting for soldiers, immigration and citizenship, entry into Israel, senior appointments, local government, municipal tax, planning and construction, and education.

After Arbel resigned, Justice Minister Yariv Levin served in parallel as acting interior minister, but this temporary role expired in October 2025.

“The state today clearly acknowledges that the absence of a permanent interior minister creates a real legal and practical difficulty and undermines a long list of essential powers,” said Tomer Naor, deputy director of the Movement for Quality Government.

“A key government ministry cannot be managed over [a long period of] time through temporary solutions and ad hoc transfers of authority,” Naor continued, adding that “an expression of intent is not enough,” and that the organization will continue to monitor the situation so that a minister is indeed appointed.

Hebrew media reported Monday that MK Ofir Katz, of Netanyahu’s Likud party, is being considered for the role.

Channel 13 reported that Katz is one of the leading candidates, but a final decision will only be made after Likud’s primaries, which are currently scheduled for August 17, after a delay amid internal party wrangling.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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