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Tzipi Hotovely to become Israel’s new UK ambassador

She will replace Mark Regev, who served as Netanyahu’s spokesman and is finishing his five-year term as ambassador this summer.

Then-Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Tzipi Hotovely, Feb. 19, 2020. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.
Then-Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Tzipi Hotovely, Feb. 19, 2020. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.

Israeli Settlement Affairs Minister Tzipi Hotovely on Thursday announced her acceptance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer that she serve as Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.

This will enable Netanyahu to appoint Tzachi Hanegbi as head of the newly created Settlement Affairs Ministry in her stead.

Hotovely will replace Mark Regev, who previously served as Netanyahu’s spokesman and is finishing his five-year term as ambassador this summer.

Separately, Hotovely said on Thursday that there is still no consensus with the United States regarding Israel’s plan to extend its law to parts of Judea and Samaria, reported Reuters.

“There are gaps between the Americans and us on this issue and between us and our senior partner in the unity government, Blue and White,” Hotovely told Army Radio. “There is still no agreed map on this issue. It has to be agreed by parts of the [Israeli] government and by the American side,” she added.

according to the report, a U.S. official said that the ongoing coronavirus crisis has made it difficult for all members of the U.S.-Israeli mapping committee to meet.

“This political environment could discourage congressional committee staff and federal agency personnel from pursuing investigations or enforcement actions involving antisemitism,” Karen Paikin Barall of the Brandeis Center told JNS.
“They get social credit within their political bases in terms of talking about settler violence and and taking up the side of the Palestinians on issues between them and Israel,” Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute told JNS.
The U.S. envoy also said antisemitism “didn’t exist” during his upbringing and warned of an unintended clash between Israel and Turkey.
“There is not, and there will not be, a Palestinian state,” the Israeli prime minister pledged. He also called for the corruption trial against him to be dropped.