Gideon Saar named new foreign minister of Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday appointed Gideon Saar as the new foreign minister after announcing his predecessor would take over the defence portfolio, his office said.

"I spoke today with Minister Gideon Saar and offered him and his faction to join the coalition and take on the position of Foreign Minister," Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office in which he also announced he had fired defence minister Yoav Gallant.