The political area was atwitter on Wednesday following a Channel 12 News report suggesting Likud MK Miri Regev may be appointed the foreign minister in 18 months.
Under the unity deal inked between Likud and Blue and White, the latter will hold the high-profile office for the first half of the rotation government and Likud will regain control of it in late 2021.
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The 35th government is slated to be sworn in on Thursday with Regev – currently the culture and sports minister – taking over the Transportation Ministry.
Reports that Regev, a highly controversial lawmaker - is being seriously considered for the sensitive role of Israel's top diplomat sent shockwaves through the political arena, with politicians and career diplomats warning such an appointment would be nothing short of a disaster.
"Until I hear it from Netanyahu himself I refuse to believe it," one Likud official said. "The whole idea is ridiculous Miri Regev is the least-qualified person for such a stately position."
A Foreign Ministry official said that "is sends a very problematic message if people who spare no effort to ingratiate themselves with the prime minister's wife end up being appointed as foreign minister.
"If this was a legitimate offer, more than anything it attests to the contempt Netanyahu has for the Foreign Ministry," he said.
"Miri Regev is someone you appoint to destroy a ministry, not to build it up," another official said. "The Foreign Ministry's position and budgets has already been eroded to near-nothing. Regev will finish the job."
Another political insider said the strong reactions to the news were much ado about nothing, explaining, "Miri Regev will never be foreign minister simply because Netanyahu won't enact the rotation agreement. If she was promised this position, it was written on ice.
"Even if Netanyahu upholds the rotation agreement, having Regev as Foreign Ministry will embarrass the government and its prime minister and under the rotation agreement, Gantz won't be able to fire her," he warned.
Another source said, "There's really nothing to worry about. Even of Regev is named the foreign minister, everyone knows Netanyahu will be the real foreign minister."
