Eisenkot Bloc Moves to Replace Netanyahu Ally as Knesset Speaker
(MENAFN) Gadi Eisenkot's opposition alliance is seeking to remove Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of efforts to gain greater control over parliament and advance legislation that could prevent the current prime minister from leading or forming a government.
The newly elected Knesset is scheduled to convene for its first session on Tuesday, when newly elected lawmakers will take their oaths of office.
Eisenkot and Avigdor Lieberman, who leads the Yisrael Beiteinu party, reached an agreement Monday to nominate a candidate from Eisenkot's Yashar party for the speakership. The nominee is expected to be announced following discussions with the alliance's other political partners, according to reports.
Changing the speaker would allow the opposition bloc to exercise greater influence over parliamentary proceedings and the legislative agenda while Eisenkot continues negotiations to establish a governing coalition.
Among the bloc's main legislative objectives are introducing a ban on politicians facing criminal indictments from forming or heading a government, creating a state commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and overturning laws introduced as part of Netanyahu's judicial overhaul.
The proposed restriction would have implications for Netanyahu, who is facing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust but has not been convicted.
Eisenkot's four-party alliance currently controls 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, leaving it short of the 61 votes required to replace Ohana.
The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party declined a request from Yashar to support its candidate on Monday. The party argued that the speaker's position should be decided once a new government has been established.
Meanwhile, sources close to Eisenkot indicated that he could seek support from Arab political parties, which collectively hold 19 parliamentary seats. They warned that retaining Ohana as speaker would make it difficult for the opposition alliance to advance its proposed legislation.
President Isaac Herzog officially assigned Eisenkot the task of forming a government on Sunday after 67 lawmakers recommended him for the role, compared with 46 who backed Netanyahu.
Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a governing coalition, with the option of receiving an additional 14 days if needed.
The newly elected Knesset is scheduled to convene for its first session on Tuesday, when newly elected lawmakers will take their oaths of office.
Eisenkot and Avigdor Lieberman, who leads the Yisrael Beiteinu party, reached an agreement Monday to nominate a candidate from Eisenkot's Yashar party for the speakership. The nominee is expected to be announced following discussions with the alliance's other political partners, according to reports.
Changing the speaker would allow the opposition bloc to exercise greater influence over parliamentary proceedings and the legislative agenda while Eisenkot continues negotiations to establish a governing coalition.
Among the bloc's main legislative objectives are introducing a ban on politicians facing criminal indictments from forming or heading a government, creating a state commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and overturning laws introduced as part of Netanyahu's judicial overhaul.
The proposed restriction would have implications for Netanyahu, who is facing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust but has not been convicted.
Eisenkot's four-party alliance currently controls 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, leaving it short of the 61 votes required to replace Ohana.
The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party declined a request from Yashar to support its candidate on Monday. The party argued that the speaker's position should be decided once a new government has been established.
Meanwhile, sources close to Eisenkot indicated that he could seek support from Arab political parties, which collectively hold 19 parliamentary seats. They warned that retaining Ohana as speaker would make it difficult for the opposition alliance to advance its proposed legislation.
President Isaac Herzog officially assigned Eisenkot the task of forming a government on Sunday after 67 lawmakers recommended him for the role, compared with 46 who backed Netanyahu.
Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble a governing coalition, with the option of receiving an additional 14 days if needed.
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