Four Ministers of Moroccan descent in new Israeli government

The newly formed Israeli government has four ministers of Moroccan descent, less than the previous government which had seven.

The new cabinet includes Meir Cohen as labor and welfare minister. He was born in Essaouira in 1955 and migrated to Israel with his family at the age of 7.

The government line-up also has among its members Yifat Shasha-Biton, education minister who was born to a Moroccan Jewish mother.

The Jerusalem-native Meirav Cohen, new social equality and pensioners minister, is also of Moroccan origins.

Karen Harrar, born to two Moroccan parents, was appointed energy minister.

The new government was formed following a truce that ended 11 days of violence which left Gaza at rubbles.

The new government coalition ended Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 straight years as prime minister. The new government is led by Netanyahu’s former ally, right-wing Jewish nationalist Naftali Bennett.

In a seismic shift in the country’s turbulent politics, Bennett, a tech millionaire and former special forces commander, was sworn in at the helm of an ideologically divided eight-party bloc united only by disdain for the country’s longest-serving prime minister.