Binyamin Netanyahu at cabinet meeting, June 2nd 2019
Binyamin Netanyahu at cabinet meeting, June 2nd 2019Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will appoint a new Justice Minister and a new Education Minister, replacing New Right ministers Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett, in the next 48 hours.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Sunday evening that Netanyahu did not plan to retain either of the ministries himself, and would name the new ministers as soon as the terminations of Shaked and Bennett went into effect.

Netanyahu notified the two New Right ministers Sunday that they would no longer be a part of his transitional government. By law, the terminations go into effect only forty-eight hours after notification is given.

The Prime Minister’s Office also said that Netanyahu was aware that Tourism Minister Yariv Levin was not interested in taking the Justice Ministry during the care-taker government, which will remain in place until new elections are held in September.

“The Prime Minister knew beforehand that Minister Levin was not interested in filling the vacancy. Any report to the contrary in this matter of appointing ministers is speculation.”

Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that Levin had refused an offer by Netanyahu to fill the vacancy left by Ayelet Shaked at the Justice Ministry.

Shaked and Bennett, who broke off from the Jewish Home last December to form the New Right, were appoint to their respective ministries while still serving in the Jewish Home.

The Jewish Home has called on Netanyahu to fill the vacancies at the Education and Justice ministries with Jewish Home chief Rafi Peretz and National Union chairman Bezalel Smotrich.

"להעביר את התיקים לאיחוד מפלגות הימין"