Rabbi Rafi Peretz
Rabbi Rafi PeretzEsti Desiubov/TPS

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to appoint Rabbi Rafi Peretz and Bezalel Smotrich as Education and Transportation Ministers, respectively, on Monday.

The two MKs from the United Right party were summoned to a meeting in the Prime Minister's Office scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Smotrich is expected to receive an additional portfolio together with the Ministry of Transportation. Both will be members of the Cabinet, one as a member and the other as a permanent observer.

The United Right party had expressed resentment at Netanyahu's refusal to hand over the justice portfolio to Smotrich as they had demanded throughout the election campaign. As a result, the Prime Minister is expected to give Smotrich a small portfolio in addition to the Transportation Ministry in order to "compensate" for the absence of the justice portfolio.

In recent days it has been reported that Netanyahu plans to appoint ministers within the Likud as well, and is considering appointing MKs Tzipi Hotovely and Nir Barkat as cabinet ministers.