Under Court Pressure, Netanyahu Agrees to Appoint Interior Minister

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to appoint a permanent Interior Minister after a 12-month vacancy. The decision came under pressure from the High Court of Justice, which received a petition in December from the 'Movement for Quality Government'. The post has been vacant since July 2025, following the resignation of Moshe Arbel due to Shas's exit from the coalition. Acting Minister Yariv Levin exceeded his term limit in October 2025. The Attorney General confirmed the intention to appoint, noting legal and practical complications.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to put forward a candidate and appoint a permanent head of the Ministry of Interior after 12 months of the department being without a leader. This decision came in response to legal pressure from the High Court of Justice, which received a petition in December from the public organization 'Movement for Quality Government'. The position of Interior Minister had been vacant since July 2025, when former minister Moshe Arbel resigned amid the ultra-Orthodox party Shas's exit from the government coalition due to disagreements over the bill on drafting yeshiva students into the army. The temporary performance of duties was assigned to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, but the maximum term for his temporary authority, as stipulated by law, expired back in October 2025. In an official response from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, submitted to the High Court, Netanyahu's intention to carry out a full appointment is confirmed. The document emphasizes that the prolonged absence of a permanent minister and attempts to transfer some of his functions to the prime minister, who himself is barred from holding ministerial posts due to his corruption trial, have created serious legal and practical complications. This has hampered the ministry's work in areas such as immigration management, citizenship issues, municipal taxation, urban planning, and conducting elections. The petitioners positively assessed the state's recognition of the crisis but stated they would continue to monitor the process until the new minister actually takes office.