Four opposition parties on Thursday demanded that the Knesset hold a vote to elect a new speaker when the incoming parliament convenes for its first session on November 10, a step that would remove incumbent Amir Ohana of the Likud party and replace him with a parliamentary chief opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The request for an immediate vote came from three Jewish-led parties, Yashar, Yisrael Beytenu and the Democrats, along with the Arab-led Joint List. Ohana, a Netanyahu ally, said he would not hold such a vote during the opening session, but would schedule a debate on electing his successor within the following week if a majority of lawmakers formally ask for one. "The customary time to elect a Knesset speaker is when a government is formed," he wrote in a statement addressed to opposition leaders, adding: "We will respect the members of Knesset, and if a majority of them request such a debate, I will schedule it for an earlier date, no later than a week [from that time]."
Ohana cannot block a vote to replace him, which requires only a simple majority so long as the opposition parties agree on a candidate. He said he would not fight relinquishing the position and dismissed reports suggesting otherwise as "conspiracy theories." The speaker holds considerable influence over parliamentary proceedings and, together with his deputies, controls the legislative agenda.
In last week's election, Netanyahu and his allies lost their parliamentary majority, with the six parties opposed to him securing 67 of the Knesset's 120 seats. They are divided between a 48-member Jewish-led bloc and a 19-member bloc of Arab-led parties. Netanyahu leads a 46-member bloc, while United Torah Judaism, with seven seats, now appears unaligned.
Who might replace Ohana remains unclear. Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad has put forward outgoing opposition leader Yair Lapid, the party's No. 2, whose candidacy is also backed by Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar is reportedly seeking the post for one of its own lawmakers. Installing a new speaker would let the opposition advance legislation Netanyahu has blocked, potentially including an inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel and possibly a bill mandating prime ministerial term limits.
The demands were issued as President Isaac Herzog continued consultations with the incoming Knesset's factions at his official residence in Jerusalem. The talks, broadcast live, began on Wednesday and were set to conclude on Thursday evening. Herzog has said he will do all he can to prevent a repeat election, which would be triggered if no candidate can assemble a coalition.
In a landmark shift, the Haredi United Torah Judaism party broke from its longtime alliance with Netanyahu and declined to recommend any candidate for prime minister, after the spiritual leaders of both factions making up the seven-seat party instructed them not to endorse anyone. Kan reported that MK Meir Porush, a former minister under Netanyahu, skipped the meeting because he opposed the decision. The party has split with Netanyahu over delays to legislation it seeks that would enshrine blanket military service exemptions for Haredi men, and its representatives told Herzog their support for any future government depends on preserving those exemptions. "We expect that any government established will place this matter top of mind, because the reality of hounding Torah students is unimaginable," MK Yitzhak Pindrus said. The decision means Eisenkot, Netanyahu's leading opponent, is expected to receive the most recommendations, making it likely Herzog will give him the first attempt at forming a government, though his path to a coalition remains uncertain.
The far-right Otzma Yehudit party, which won seven seats and recommended Netanyahu, clashed with Herzog during its meeting. MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf claimed the election was "stolen," echoing a claim Netanyahu has made in connection with an investigation into foreign interference, though election officials have repeatedly said the vote was conducted properly. "You are citing hearsay; it is all speculation," Herzog responded, noting he had spoken with Shin Bet chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and that a special investigative team was examining the allegations. When Wasserlauf declared his party had "no confidence" in Baharav-Miara, Herzog said "the culture of discrediting public servants in state institutions is unacceptable." The discussion also turned to Arab voters, with Wasserlauf insisting "This isn't about racism. I have nothing against Arabs. I have friends who are Arab," while MK Yitzhak Kroizer called opposition from Arab citizens "a badge of honor" for party chairman Itamar Ben Gvir, who was absent. Arab leaders have noted that violent crime has soared in their communities during Ben Gvir's tenure as national security minister. After the meeting, Ben Gvir wrote on X that he was proud to be "the only one that supporters of terror are afraid of," and the party's No. 2, MK Tally Gotliv, accused Herzog of acting like a "pet Jew, the kind our enemies like."
The left-wing Democrats, who won eight seats, were also challenged by Herzog over their apparent position that removing Netanyahu outweighed all other considerations, according to Hebrew media reports. "Must it be 'Yes or no Netanyahu?'" he asked, suggesting instead the building of something "large, central, joint." MK Gilad Kariv replied that there was an "oxymoron between continuing the Netanyahu regime and ideas of healing and repairing," and the party recommended Eisenkot. Herzog had already met on Wednesday with the pro-Netanyahu Religious Zionism and Shas parties, which each won six seats, and with pro-Eisenkot Yisrael Beytenu, which won seven.
