The Israeli Knesset (parliament) elected, on Tuesday, Yariv Levin of the right-wing Likud party as its interim president, to succeed Mickey Levy of the centrist “There is a Future” party, after the candidacy closed yesterday, Monday.
According to the Knesset’s website, MPs Merav Ben-Ari of the “There is a Future” party competed for the presidency of Parliament alongside Levin, and Ayman Odeh of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality and the Arab List for Change bloc.
This election is linked to accelerating the enactment of laws that would make it easier for the Prime Minister-designate, the leader of the “Likud” Benjamin Netanyahu, to form the new government.
The Knesset stated that Levin received 64 votes, while Ben-Ari won 45 votes, and 5 votes were returned from the 120 seats.
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The vote took place after a tumultuous session that lasted throughout Monday, during which accusations were exchanged between Netanyahu’s camp and the party opposing him.
During the session, Likud member Yoav Kisch said, “The Knesset’s bylaws do not address the issue of appointing a temporary speaker for it, and that the Likud bloc decided unanimously to support the appointment of MK Yariv Levin to the position of Speaker of the Knesset, after he pledged to resign from his post after the inauguration of the government.” .
In this regard, Netanyahu, in his address to the Knesset, thanked Levin for accepting to serve as Knesset speaker for a two-week term.
Netanyahu requested to postpone the adoption of a number of laws until after the formation of the government, but his partner parties refused to do so, fearing that he would back down after the government gained the confidence of the Knesset.
The Likud did not specify who would run for speaker of the Knesset after the expected inauguration of the government later this month.
The Prime Minister-designate, Netanyahu, is trying to satisfy the leaders of his “Likud” party in distributing ministerial portfolios and positions.
The Knesset elections were held in early November, and the Netanyahu camp won the elections after obtaining 64 Knesset seats.
Netanyahu is making efforts to form a government from the right-wing parties partnering with his party, “Likud”, namely “Religious Zionism”, “Jewish Power”, “Noam”, “Shas” and “United Torah Judaism”.
In his speech in the Knesset, a member of the far-right “Noam” party, Avi Maoz, said that Levy “is making every possible maneuver to delay his replacement and the formation of the new government.”
Levy replied, “Half-truth is worse than lying. Are you accusing me of clinging to a chair? Look at yourself in the mirror and be ashamed.”
In response to the accusations of the parties opposing him of leading Israel to a state ruled by Jewish religious parties, Netanyahu explained: “There will not be a government of Jewish law here, there will be a state that will take care of all citizens of Israel without exception. I want to assure you that there will be electricity during the Shabbat period.”
Netanyahu added, “I call on members of the opposition to accept the people’s decision in the elections and stop spreading intimidation and lies.”
He continued, “We were chosen to lead our own way, the way of national right and the way of the liberal right, and so we will.”
However, outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid asserts that the government under formation is “the most radical in the country’s history.”
In his speech before the Knesset, Lapid said: “This is not the Likud government, and it is certainly not the Netanyahu government. Netanyahu is weak and terrified of being tried and taken over by those younger and more extremist than him. Smotrich and Deri control this government. Netanyahu is a junior partner.”
And Bezalel Smotrich is the leader of the right-wing “religious Zionist” who will take over for two years the finance portfolio in the new government, before it is assumed for another two years by the right-wing “Shas” leader Aryeh Deri.
Until December 21, Netanyahu still has the opportunity to form a government, but he can request an extension of another 4 days, subject to the approval of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
In the event that Netanyahu requests and obtains the additional deadline, he will have exhausted 32 days to form the government, and in the event of his failure, the Israeli president has the right to assign another deputy to form the government within 28 days.
And in the event that the second candidate fails, the Israeli president returns the matter to the Knesset, which has two options, either to find among its members someone who will form a government that enjoys the confidence of at least 61 of its members, or to dissolve Parliament and go to new elections.
