Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided in recent days to appoint Minister Dudi Amsalem to be in charge, on his behalf, of the Atomic Energy Committee, one of the most secret and important bodies in the defense establishment.
According to foreign reports, the Atomic Energy Committee is responsible for Israel’s nuclear weapons, on which Israel has long maintained a policy of ambiguity, and is also at the heart of the fight against Iran’s attempts to obtain its own nuclear weapons.
Over the years, responsibility for the body rested with the Prime Minister, with exceptions such as former minister Yuval Steinitz, and Lapid, both when he was Alternate Prime Minister and when he was Prime Minister.
Channel 13 News revealed on Tuesday evening that, while the ultimate responsibility will remain with the Prime Minister, Amsalem is expected to be the appointed minister working with the committee on his behalf.
Dudi Amsalem currently serves as Minister for Regional Cooperation, Minister in the Ministry of Justice and the Minister Liaising between the Government and the Knesset.