MK Benjamin Netanyahu, expected to become Israel's next Prime Minister, wants to appoint former Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer as the government's next Foreign Minister - and is facing backlash from within the Likud, Israel Hayom reported.
Several senior officials in the Likud party have warned that, "If Netanyahu appoints Dermer as Foreign Minister, this will be an audacious appointment which derides the Likud voters, who chose people in the primaries. It is also disrespectful of the Likud MKs, who invested in the primaries."
They added, "There is no coercion or justification for giving the portfolio to a coalition partner - Netanyahu is trying to force him on us from the outside."
Among the Likud MKs seen as worthy of becoming Foreign Minister are MKs Amir Ohana and Yariv Levin.
Though none of the Likud MKs have enough power on their own to force Netanyahu to give them the portfolios they desire, some of them may become bitter and join together in an attempt to make problems for Netanyahu from within the coalition, Israel Hayom noted.