Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau wanted to appoint an illegal settler as ambassador to Rome, but he might fail. According to Israeli publications Ynet and Times of Israel, the Italian government has expressed discomfort with the close ties between Benny Kashriel and the Israeli settlement movement in the West Bank. Since 1992, Kashriel has been mayor of Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and for years he led the Yesha Council, an settlers’ umbrella body. Because of this and his diplomatic inexperience at a sensitive time, both Rome’s State Presidency and Prime Minister Gioigia Meloni asked Israel to change the appointment.
According to Ynet, President Isaac Herzog also asked the Foreign Ministry to discreetly intervene. However, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, will be replaced by Israel Katz in two days and may not be the one to handle the Kashriel case.
