Israel's lieberman appointed head of Knesset committee

Former Israeli Foreign Minister and head of the far-right Israel Beytenu Party, Avigdor Lieberman, was named head of the Knesset's (parliament) Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on Wednesday.Israeli lawmakers named on Wednesday the chiefs of the various Knesset committees, and Lieberman was chosen to lead the prestigious committee after serving as temporary chairman in the past couple of months.According to reports in Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding the position of foreign minister for Lieberman once his trial comes to an end.Indicted last December in a Jerusalem Court on charges of fraud and breach of trust, Lieberman is accused of illegally promoting a close ally, diplomat Ze'ev Ben Arye, who had illegally given him information about a police investigation against him.Lieberman plead not guilty at the start of his trial in February and expressed his wishes to have the trial end soon and " clear his name," allowing him to resume his political career as soon as possible.The first hearing in the case is set to take place on April 25. The State's Attorney's office stated that if Lieberman is found guilty the prosecution would seek jail time.According to Israeli law, conviction on those clauses could disqualify him from holding a cabinet post.Member of Knesset Nitzan Horovitz from the left-wing Meretz Party called Lieberman's nomination to the post "unworthy" and said it creates a conflict of interests."Lieberman is currently on trial in an affair revolving around key positions in the foreign ministry. It is unthinkable that prior to the end of his trial, he is appointed to the chairmanship of a central committee in the Knesset which supervises the foreign ministry. This creates a difficult conflict of interests and damages the legal process," Horovitz said.Lieberman, who is known throughout the international community for his hawkish views, is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest ally and No. 2 on the roster of their joint Likud-Beytenu list.