Israel: Opposition moves to oust Knesset speaker Ohana before a government is formed
Netanyahu's bloc stands at 53 seats, the opposition at 48 and Arab parties at 19. Eisenkot, Liberman and Bennett are discussing how to replace the Likud lawmaker as head of parliament.
Archive image · Photo: איציק אדרי-Itzik Edri / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (cropped and resized)
After Israel's parliamentary election on Oct. 27, the opposition is preparing its first power struggle. According to Ynetnews, representatives of Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar!, Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu and Naftali Bennett's Beyachad are discussing how to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud) once the 26th Knesset is sworn in on Nov. 10 – even before a government is in place. Under a 2020 Supreme Court ruling, a vote on a new speaker must be held if 61 lawmakers demand it.
To reach that number, however, the opposition would need votes from Arab lawmakers – a sensitive issue, since parts of the opposition camp, such as Liberman, reject governing with the backing of Arab parties. With 85.6% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc has 53 seats, the opposition 48 and Arab parties 19, Ynetnews reported; a majority requires 61 of 120 seats. An estimated 430,000 to 480,000 double-envelope ballots, including soldiers' votes, are still uncounted. Netanyahu's associates plan to block the move.
President Isaac Herzog expects official results next week and will then consult the parliamentary factions. According to JTA, a minority government, a unity government or new elections are all possible. Eisenkot said on election night that after such a high turnout, another election would be a mistake. Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute said it could "take weeks and perhaps months" before a new prime minister is determined. Until then, Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister.