Barak announces ministerial appointments of Labor MKs for next government

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Defense Minister and Labor Party leader Ehud Barak announced on Sunday night the appointments of Labor MKs for the new government, which will be sworn-in on Tuesday. According to a statement release by his office, Barak will serve as Deputy Prime Minister in the next government. Barak appointed Binyamin Ben-Eliezer to serve as Industry and Trade Minister, and Orit Noked to serve as his deputy minister. Several Labor MKs will stay on in their present appointments - Yitzhak Herzog will continue to serve as the Welfare Minister, Shalom Simhon will continue to serve as Agriculture Minister, and Matan Vilna'i will continue serving as the deputy Defense Minister. Avishai Braverman will be a minister-without-portfolio and the government's liaison to minorities.