Minister of Information Galit Distal Atabrian announced her resignation

Minister of Information Galit Distal Atabrian announced her resignation from her post on Thursday evening, citing the decision to transfer information-related responsibilities to the Ministry of the Diaspora. Her resignation comes after facing months of criticism, as many deemed her position unnecessary. The move to transfer information functions to the Diaspora Ministry signifies a significant shift in the Israeli government's approach to managing its international image.

In a statement, Distal Atabrian expressed her respect for the decision made earlier in the week, which designated the Ministry of the Diaspora as responsible for handling Israel's information activities on the global stage, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She acknowledged the substantial disparity in resources, personnel, authorities, and units between the two ministries. Distal Atabrian further emphasized that the Ministry of Information had only received its initial budget a mere 17 weeks ago and was still in the early stages of its establishment.

Distal Atabrian stated, "Ego aside - the good of Israel comes first, certainly during such a difficult war." She acknowledged the redundancy of her ministry's role, as there were already competent ministers overseeing national resilience and various entities, including the Home Front Command and civilian organizations dedicated to similar tasks. She argued that this duplication of efforts was unjustifiable in terms of public expenditure and questioned the efficacy of the Ministry of Information in its current form.

Consequently, she made the difficult decision to step down from her position, recognizing that the ministry, as it stands, cannot significantly contribute to the nation's welfare. Her primary concern, she stressed, was the well-being of the country, and she could no longer justify the use of public funds for an underutilized government office.

In conclusion, Distal Atabrian extended her best wishes to her colleague, Amichai Shikli, who will assume responsibility for promoting the State of Israel on the international stage. She expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his trust and appealed to him to allocate the ministry's budget directly to citizens in the south. Additionally, she praised the dedicated team in her office for their diligent work in supporting the Israeli narrative globally.

Galit Distal Atabrian concluded her announcement by expressing her intent to continue serving the people of Israel from the Knesset. Her resignation marks a significant development in the Israeli government's approach to managing its international image and information activities.