Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday the appointment of his right-wing associate Dore Gold as director-general of the foreign ministry.
Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu fired Nissim Ben-Shitrit, who was appointed to be the chief of the office by former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Netanyahu is set to bring Gold's appointment to the approval of his cabinet on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported citing a statement issued from his office.
Dore Gold, 62, has served in various posts during his career. He was Israel's envoy to the UN between 1997 and 1999, the president of the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs and used to be Netanyahu's political advisor.
He had also served as an external advisor for Netanyahu by the end of 2013, specifically regarding the relationship between Israel and the US.
Gold is known for his right-wing stance and objecting to the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Last week, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu has appointed new Interior Minister and veteran Likud politician Silvan Shalom as Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians.
This post was previously held by dovish former justice minister Tzipi Livni (now from the Zionist Union), while Shalom is more right-wing in his perceptions.
