Foreign Minister Saar Pushes 12 Ambassador Appointments Before Election

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi is advancing the approval of 12 ambassador and consul general appointments abroad, according to a report by "Walla!". The appointments include Israel's ambassadors to India, Jordan, Canada, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Switzerland, Paraguay, Rwanda, Ghana, and Belarus, as well as the Consul General in Munich.

The appointment to India is slated to take effect in November 2026, while most others are planned for the summer of 2027, with the Swiss posting set for January 2028. These are professional diplomatic appointments, not political ones.

The timing of these appointments, so close to an election, has drawn criticism from within the Foreign Ministry. Senior officials questioned the urgency, suggesting a new minister might want to shape the leadership of the diplomatic corps. "What's the rush for Minister Saar to hold the committee now? If there's a new minister, surely he'll want to leave himself the option to decide how he wants to shape the profile of the heads of the Foreign Service," they reportedly asked.

The Foreign Ministry defended the move, stating that appointing heads of missions from the permanent diplomatic staff is a routine procedure conducted annually between September and October to ensure the smooth operation of Israeli missions abroad. They emphasized that delays in appointing heads of missions lead to further delays for other staff and that early appointments allow diplomats and their families sufficient time for relocation preparations, including school enrollment and obtaining host country approval.

The ministry also noted that the list of vacant positions is relatively small compared to previous years and that similar appointment processes have proceeded without issue during past election periods, aligning with the ministry's professional needs. These procedures were reportedly carried out in full coordination with the Civil Service Commission and the Ministry of Justice.