Israeli parliament to vote on replacing speaker next week

Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana announced Tuesday that parliament would vote next week on replacing him following a request by 67 lawmakers, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Ohana said the debate and subsequent vote would take place on Nov. 17 at 4 pm local time (1400GMT), when the Knesset plenary convenes.

Although the procedure is permitted under parliamentary rules and supported by a Supreme Court ruling, Ohana described the request as “exceptional.”

“Despite my strong opposition to the intentions of the emerging coalition, I will act as I promised and respect the will of the majority of Knesset members,” he said.

He confirmed that parliament would convene next week to consider the request.

The announcement came as Israel’s newly elected 120-member Knesset held its opening session Tuesday following the Oct. 27 parliamentary elections.

Ohana, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, had previously rejected opposition demands for a vote during the opening session.

He argued that an early vote to replace the speaker required a request backed by at least 61 lawmakers.

Opposition parties led by Gadi Eisenkot have been seeking to replace Ohana to gain greater control over parliament’s legislative agenda before a new government is formed.

Israeli media reported Monday that Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman had agreed that the next speaker should come from Eisenkot’s Yashar party.

The Oct. 27 elections left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats, while opposition parties secured 48 and Arab-led parties won 19, giving parties opposed to Netanyahu a combined 67 seats.

Replacing Ohana could allow the opposition bloc to advance legislation, including a proposal to establish a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, while negotiations to form a new government continue.