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Olmert completes Cabinet reshuffle
JERUSALEM - Israels parliament on Wednesday approved Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts new Cabinet appointments to fill vacancies created by a series of official scandals.Ronnie Bar-On, a longtime Olmert confidant, took over as finance minister, replacing Avraham Hirchson, who resigned Sunday over a police investigation into allegations of embezzlement at a workers union he headed in 2003. The resignation was a blow to Olmert, who considered Hirchson of his Kadima Party a key ally. Olmert named Haim Ramon, another ally, as vice premier. Ramon is a former justice minister under Olmert who was convicted of sexual misconduct earlier this year after forcibly kissing a female soldier. He will step into a post vacated by elder statesman Shimon Peres, who was recently elected as Israels ceremonial president. Posted by: Steve White 2007-07-05 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=192599 |