Foreign Ministry approves Ron Prosor appointment to UN

Following clash between premier and FM, a round of diplomatic posts are filled, including diplomats to India, Finland and Miami.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Ron Prosor 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Ron Prosor 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
A Foreign Ministry committee approved the appointment of Ambassador Ron Prosor to the post of ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday. Prosor was previously the ambassador to London.
The committee, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, also appointed Alon Oshpiz as ambassador to India; Dan Ashbal as ambassador to Finland; Dan Shaham to the post of ambassador at large in Africa; and Haim Shaham as consul-general in Miami.
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The appointments were expected to be approved by the government on Sunday.
Two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman flexed his political muscles when he announced that he would not accept Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint National Security Adviser Uzi Arad as ambassador to London.
Netanyahu’s office had leaked to Yisrael Hayom newspaper that he had decided to appoint Ron Prosor as the next ambassador to the United Nations and that Arad would replace Prosor in London.
Lieberman, who was enraged to learn about Arad’s appointment from the newspaper, called him and told him he was staying in Jerusalem.
Lieberman said he respected Arad and considered him a knowledgeable person with good connections internationally but that due to the circumstances, he would not be ambassador in London. He said he preferred to appoint an experienced candidate from the Foreign Ministry, noting that the ministry had diplomats who were born in London.
Following the political struggle between the premier and foreign minister, Arad officially requested to resign from his current post last week.