Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy has appointed a number of foreign service professionals to desirable postings at home and abroad, calculated to advance their careers, whatever the outcome of the elections now only a month away.
All were approved by the Foreign Ministry’s workers committee. But opposition Knesset member Yossi Sarid, calling them “political appointments,” asked the attorney general to advise the appointees that their new jobs may be temporary if the elections result in a change of national leadership.
Uri Oren, Levy’s close adviser for many years, has been named consul general in Los Angeles, replacing Brig. Gen. Ran Packer.
Former Likud Knesset member Dror Seigerman was appointed consul general in Toronto.
Yehudi Kenar will be the new consul general in Philadelphia, and Meir Romem will be consul general in Houston.
Levy’s choices were bipartisan. Uriel Savir, the current consul general in New York, who was appointed by Shimon Peres when the then Labor Party leader was foreign minister, has been named by Levy to serve as deputy director general for Western European affairs at the Foreign Ministry.
Another diplomat associated with Labor, Co-lette Avital, now ambassador to Portugal, will be deputy director general for special projects.
Oded Eran will be deputy director general for economic affairs, and Amos Granor will serve as deputy director general in charge of the peace process.
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