Masalha to replace Tarif

The Israeli chairman of the Labor party and defense minister in Israel Benjamin Bin Aliazer asked member of the Israeli Knesset Nawaf Masalha to assume a ministerial position in the Israeli government in succession of the former minister Saleh Tarif who resigned from his post.

The Israeli daily Maareve issue on Sunday said that Bin Aliazer held consultations with Masalha to this effect and Israel's prime minister Ariel Sharon is expected to approve on that in a way that the Likud party will give up one ministerial post in order to keep a balance in the government coalition in Israel.