Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Israel Hayom has learned.
No exact reason was cited for the decision, although there has been speculation of an upcoming reshuffle in his transition government as he gears up for the September 17 election.
Bennett and Shaked issued a statement following the announcement saying that "we thank the Israeli public from the bottom of our heart on the great privilege of serving it in those ministries. Everything we did was for the State of Israel and for its people."
Both outgoing ministers said they would oversee an orderly handover of the ministries to their successors to ensure that work would continue with minimal disruption and the 2019-2020 school year would open as scheduled.
A source close to Bennett and Shaked said Sunday that Netanyahu's decision to fire the two indicated poor judgment and cast doubt on his capability to continue serving as prime minister.
Blue and White co-leader Yair Lapid responded to the move on Twitter: "Netanyahu fired Bennett and Shaked because 1) He is afraid they'll do poor work? 2) He's afraid they'll do good work? 3) Nothing matters to him anymore. 4) All of the above."
Last week the Knesset dissolved barely a month after it was inaugurated after Netanyahu failed to muster enough votes to win a confidence vote and swear in a government. This was due to Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman refusing to join Netanyahu's coalition over a bill regulating the draft of haredim.
Bennett and Shaked ran as the leaders of the New Right party but failed to win enough votes to cross the electoral threshold.
Because the Knesset dissolved, Netanyahu no longer needs a governing coalition because no-confidence votes cannot be held until the election. This means he can appoint and fire ministers almost without consulting anyone.
Netanyahu is currently trying to curry favor with the Russian-speaking electorate. There is speculation that he could make certain moves in the coming months to make his candidacy more appealing to voters from the former Soviet Union, in light of the rift with Lieberman, who relies on the Russian vote .
