The Movement for Quality Government in Israel is speaking out against Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi's appointment to the role of Israeli consulate-general in Shanghai.
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In a letter to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid, the non-profit organization wrote: "There is concern the reason for the appointment is political and irrelevant.
Attorneys Tomer Naor and Rotem Bavli Dvir from the Movement for Quality Government noted that Zoabi had twice voted against the coalition in protest of what she called the government's racist policies. According to the attorneys, "There is major concern over a political appointment to a senior position in the Foreign Ministry service, which is aimed in its entirety at paving the coalition's path to stability through 'moving' a lawmaker who could threaten coalition stability [out of the way]. Thus, the appointment power afforded to the Foreign Ministry has been abused.
"The reports raise serious concerns the foreign minister used the power at his disposal to appoint a lawmaker to a senior position in the Foreign Ministry's service, while not taking into account serious considerations but rather narrow and foreign political considerations of coalition stability," they said.
Zoabi's appointment is subject to approval by the Civil Service Commission that will examine her suitability to the role.
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