Isaac Herzog is expected to replace Natan Sharansky as the head of the Jewish Agency for Israel, despite the opposition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

If approved by the agency’s Board of Governors, Mr Herzog, Israel’s opposition leader and rival of Mr Netanyahu, would start his four-year term on August 1.

The agency rejected Mr Netanyahu’s choice, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. Its board is due to meet on Sunday in Jerusalem to make the final decision.

According to Haaretz, it is the first time the agency rejected a prime minister’s choice for the role in 23 years. The newspaper reported that, when Mr Netanyahu was told that the agency had chosen Mr Herzog, he called them to stress that he wanted his candidate to get the role.

Mr Herzog, the former chair of the Labor Party, has served in the Knesset since 2003, also serving in various ministerial posts, including Diaspora minister.

Naftali Bennett, Minister of Education and Diaspora Affairs, welcomed the choice.

The Jewish Agency is picking a “man of values, who will contribute greatly to the consolidation between us and our brothers in the Diaspora,” he said.

“Especially now, when the relationship between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry faces significant challenges, I am certain that Herzog will be able to create a true bridge between us and world Jewry.

“Herzog, as a former Minister of Diaspora Affairs, is one of the few people who fully understand the importance of this connection to the future of the Jewish people.”