Jerusalem, Oct 25 (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu's personal diplomatic envoy and confidant announcedtoday he was relinquishing his voluntary position on thebackdrop of growing public criticism of his undefinedfunction.
"I respectfully request that you discharge me from myposition as emissary and special diplomatic adviser to thepremier," Yitzhak Molcho wrote to Netanyahu in a letterdistributed by the premier's office.
A lawyer by training, Molcho served in that capacityduring Netanyahu's first term as prime minister in the years1996-1999 and then again since 2009, when Netanyahu returnedto power.
Molcho led Israeli negotiating teams with thePalestinians, and was Netanyahu's pointman for resolvingsensitive issues with neighbouring Arab states Egypt andJordan.
Since he answered to Netanyahu only and was accountableto no formal parliamentary checks, lawmakers criticised attime the lack of transparency in his actions.
Molcho is partner in a law firm with David Shimron,Netanyahu's relative and attorney, who has been investigatedas part of the graft scandal involving the purchase ofsubmarines from Germany.
In August, a petition was filed against Molcho continuinghis work with Netanyahu in the light of Shimron's involvementin the submarine affair.
"In my government, there will be no Molchos and noShimrons," head of Labour party Avi Gabbay tweeted after thenews of the resignation broke.
Netanyahu issued a statement thanking Molcho for hisservices.
"I need not enumerate the sensitive and importantdiplomatic missions that you have carried out," he wrote. "Youdid so with a rare combination of ability, experience and adeep and comprehensive knowledge of the issues."Molcho will leave the job at the end of February 2018.
(AFP)KIS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.