Israel appoints culture minister as acting PM

Controversial Israeli Culture and Sports Minister, Miri Regev, has been appointed acting prime minister while Benjamin Netanyahu makes an official two-day visit to Greece, the Times of Israel reported today.

In a statement Regev said: “I thank the prime minister for the trust he has put in me. I hope these 48 hours will go smoothly and I wish the prime minister and his wife a good trip to Greece.”

Read: Netanyahu considers closing Al Jazeera offices in Jerusalem

A member of the Likud party since 2009, Regev recently stirred controversy after arriving at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a provocative dress emblazoned with a panorama of the iconic Jerusalem skyline.

Netanyahu has no deputy and chooses a different minister to take his place every time he travels abroad.

Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has been designated to convene the country’s security cabinet if the need arises as Regev is not a member of the body.