Even before cabinet is formed, Netanyahu's team gets its act together

Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's "100-days" team is well into its preparations to enter the Prime Minister's Office, even if their boss is still having problems putting together a coalition.

Netanyahu held transition meetings on Tuesday with top defense and intelligence officials including Defense Minister Ehud Barak to discuss the Palestinian issue, the situation on the northern front, and especially strategy on Iran's nuclear program.

On the team's agenda on Wednesday is relations with the United States, including a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Israel, James Cunningham. They will also meet with the acting director general of the Foreign Ministry, Yossi Gal, and with the Defense Ministry's security chief, Amos Gilad.

A week ago, the Netanyahu associates who are expected to fill key positions in the Prime Minister's Office met for the first time on transition issues with Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel.

Netanyahu's bureau chief is expected to be Natan Eshel, former managing director of the Orthodox daily Hatzofeh, and now deputy managing director of the daily Israel Hayom. That paper's owner, Sheldon Adelson, is very close to Netanyahu.

Another prominent figure in the future Netanyahu administration is former MK and minister Eliezer Sandberg. A member of Netanyahu's coalition-talks team, Sandberg is slated to become cabinet secretary. Sandberg has been an MK for the Tzomet party and Shinui, which he left in 2006 to form a separate list that eventually merged with Likud.

Netanyahu is expected to appoint Uzi Arad, former head of intelligence in the Mossad, head of the National Security Council. Arad was Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser during the latter's first term as prime minister and has taken part in all of Netanyahu's meetings on foreign policy as head of the opposition.

Netanyahu, who created the National Security Council 10 years ago just before he left the Prime Minister's Office, is reportedly interested in upgrading the council and making it his main advisory body on foreign policy and security.

Attorney Yitzhak Molcho, meanwhile, is expected to take on a full-time position as Netanyahu's special international envoy. During the Likud chief's first term as prime minister, Molcho was his special envoy to talks with the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu is expected to appoint his strategic adviser Ron Dermer public affairs chief. Dermer, who was born in the United States, has also been touted for the post of ambassador to the United States, but apparently he wants to stay in Israel.

A probable choice for ambassador to Washington is Dore Gold, a close Netanyahu associate who has served as UN ambassador.