Israeli opposition parties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are seeking to wrest control of the Knesset (parliament) presidency from the "Likud" party and dominate its main committees before the conclusion of negotiations to form a new government. These moves coincide with the convening of the inaugural session of the 26th Knesset on Tuesday evening, for elected MPs to take their legal oath, amidst a parliamentary majority held by parties opposing Netanyahu.
The opposition parties, both Jewish and Arab, secured 67 seats out of 120 in the recent elections, granting them an advantage in electing a new Knesset speaker and forming its committees. Meanwhile, "Yesh Atid" leader Gadi Eisenkot, tasked with forming the government, continues consultations with parties to ensure his anticipated government secures parliamentary confidence. The opposition's first step involves replacing the current Knesset speaker, Amir Ohana, who belongs to Netanyahu's "Likud" party.
"Yesh Atid" announced on Tuesday that the leaders of the "Change and Renewal" bloc agreed to nominate former minister Matan Kahana for the Knesset presidency, and former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman for the chairmanship of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Security Committee. The agreement also includes nominating Roy Falkman for the parliamentary Arrangements Committee and Liran Avishar Ben Horin for the Finance Committee. The date for the voting session to replace Ohana with a new speaker has not yet been determined.
The "Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper stated that the opposition aims through this step to control parliamentary procedures, push for new legislation, and repeal laws passed by the outgoing government, even before the new government takes its legal oath. These parliamentary moves coincide with ongoing consultations by Eisenkot to form a new government to succeed Netanyahu's government. Eisenkot has a legal deadline of 28 days to form the government, which can be extended by an additional 14 days with the approval of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Statistics of the New Knesset
The 26th Knesset consists of 120 members representing 11 parties that won in the recent elections. According to the Israel Democracy Institute (private), the new parliament includes 46 MPs entering the Knesset for the first time. It also includes 33 women, representing the highest female representation in the history of the Knesset, compared to the previous record of 30 women in 2020 and 2021.
The institute pointed out disparities in women's representation among parties, noting that "Yesh Atid" includes 11 women out of 21 MPs, while religious parties "Yehudut HaTorah" and "Shas" lack female representation. The number of Arab MPs is 19 out of 120, the highest in the history of the Knesset, compared to 17 MPs in 2020, when counting Arab MPs in both Arab and non-Arab parties.
Legal Oath Ceremony
The new Knesset is scheduled to hold its inaugural session on Tuesday evening, during which elected MPs will take their legal oath. The "Jerusalem Post" newspaper stated that the day's events begin at 8:00 AM with the arrival of newly elected MPs at the Knesset building. It clarified that each MP will receive a symbolic flower to pin to their jacket, before taking commemorative photos with family members, followed by an official photo session whose images will be used throughout their term.
Afterward, MPs will move to the main hall to attend the oath-taking ceremony, attended by their family members and senior government officials who will follow the proceedings from balconies designated for the public. Herzog will officially open the session by striking the gavel three times, then deliver a speech on the occasion, before inviting Ohana to preside over the session, paving the way for the start of the legal oath-taking ceremony.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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