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Netanyahu sacks Bennett and Shaked

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has removed his education and justice ministers from the interim government.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett attended the weekly cabinet meeting for the first time since failing to be re-elected two months ago, but two hours later he was told by the cabinet secretary that he, and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, had been removed from their ministerial posts.

Shaked and Bennett released a joint statement that refrained from attacking Netanyahu. They said: “We thank the Israeli public from the bottom of our hearts for the rare privilege we have had to serve them in our positions as education and justice ministers. Everything we did was for the good of the state of Israel and its citizens. ”

They added that they would cooperate with their replacements in order to allow a smooth transition.

Last night Bennett spoke to news media outside his house and said: “The state of Israel is being hurled into another set of elections. This is not a good thing, but there is an opportunity for all of us, also for me, to come into them wiser, more serious, more modest.”

Netanyahu said the acting ministers could not remain in post until the 17 September election because they had not been re-elected to the Knesset in April. A government minister is not required to be a member of Knesset, but remaining as ministers would have given Bennett and Shaked a higher profile during the election campaign. Bennett intends to once again lead the New Right party, but Shaked told supporters last night that she will decide shortly what she intends to do.

Likud Central Committee Chairman Haim Katz told Netanyahu that Shaked: “Is worthy and is an electoral force that will strengthen the Likud”. Netanyahu reportedly told Likud members that he did not intend to secure a place for Shaked on the party list. Israel’s Channel 13 News reported that attempts by senior Likud members to try to reserve a spot for Shaked on the party list had been opposed by the Prime Minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu.