The government on Sunday unanimously approved the establishment of a Ministry of Strategic Threats, to be led by MK Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu).

The decision comes despite the view expressed by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz that "there exists a lack of clarity on the role of this ministry, and this considering the government's decision that 'the establishment of this office is not intended to reduce the authority of another minister in the domain of his or her ministry."

The government also approved 20 staff positions in the ministry, including those of director general.

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The ministry will have a budget for hiring outside consultants, conducting investigations and holding meetings.

The government also decided that the Nativ organization, which operates in the former Soviet states and forms links with Jews intending to immigrate to Israel, would be moved from the Prime Minister's Office to the Ministry of Strategic Threats.

Naomi Ben-Ami, the former Israeli ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova, was appointed head of the organization.

The statement accompanying the decision said, "in the age of growing strategic threats against Israel, it is appropriate to upgrade the work of the government's staff in the interest of integrating its policies against these threats. The high number of bodies reporting to the prime minister dealing with strategic threats...bolsters the need for establishing a staff and an organized decision-making proces.