JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on Friday to appoint the head of the new right-wing party, Naftali Bennett, as defense minister in the interim government, a post he has held for some time.
The 12 and 13 Israeli channels indicated that Netanyahu's decision to relinquish the post of defense minister, which he has maintained for himself since Avigdor Lieberman's resignation and the appointment of Bennett, came after understandings between them over the new government.
According to a statement from his Likud party, Netanyahu, Bennett agreed to appoint another person to the post once a new government was formed.
Likud added that Netanyahu and Bennett agreed during their meeting on Friday to form a joint bloc of the Likud and "New Right" parties during the current Knesset mandate, where the party has three members in the current Knesset, namely Bennett, Ayelet Shaked and Matan Kahane.
Netanyahu proposed to Bennett that he and Shaked would be appointed in two small ministries, or only Bennett as security minister, but Shaked abdicated as a minister in exchange for Bennett's security ministry.
Bennett previously served as Netanyahu's education minister. Bennett supports tough action with the Palestinians in Gaza and unusual tactics with Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah.