Former Bibi advisor becomes minister for defending against BDS, Iran and ICC

A former advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon has been given responsibility for defending Israel against boycotters, Iran and the International Criminal Court.

In a vote of confidence, Likud politician Gilad Erdan was this appointed as Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, which the cabinet and Knesset duly passed.

His remit will include tackling the ever-growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and in a Facebook post, he said he felt he had been given the tools he needed.

“I am well aware of the danger that faces us due to the anti-Israel activities of the BDS movement,” he wrote. “I came to [an] agreement with the prime minister on allocating the necessary resources and budgets.”

Erdan’s role will include “taking on anti-Israel activities in the international arena such as attempts to attack us in the International Criminal Court, attempts by the Palestinians to have us expelled from FIFA,” he said. 

“These are urgent issues, and it is difficult to overstate their importance.” 

The appointment completes Netanyahu’s government formation, but the constant swapping of responsibilities and departments brought derision from opposition leader Isaac Herzog, who said it was like “musical chairs”.

Herzog then appealed for former Likudnik Moshe Kahlon to bring down the government by leaving, saying: “You don’t have to take part in this circus… Take responsibility and stop the farce that harms everyone in Israel.”