Netanyahu’s bloc loses 1st vote in new Israeli Knesset as opposition secures majority

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc suffered its first parliamentary defeat in the newly elected Knesset on Wednesday, as opposition and Arab parties secured a majority in a vote to establish the Arrangements Committee, Anadolu reports.

The proposal passed by 63 votes to 50, with Roy Folkman of Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party set to chair the committee.

In a statement on its website, the Knesset said lawmakers approved the proposal submitted by Folkman to establish the committee and determine its composition.

Under the approved arrangement, Netanyahu’s Likud party will hold five seats on the committee, while Yesh Atid, the Joint List, the Democrats and the United Arab List (Ra’am) will each have two.

Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, Shas and Religious Zionism will each receive one seat.

Yashar announced Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with other parties in the opposition’s Change Bloc to appoint Folkman as committee chairman.

Likud criticized the vote, saying the parties led by Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett had sided with Arab lawmakers Ahmad Tibi and Mansour Abbas.

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The party called for an end to cooperation with Arab parties, accusing them of supporting terrorism and boycotting Israel’s national anthem.

Committee’s role

According to the Israel Democracy Institute, the Arrangements Committee oversees the organization of parliamentary work at the start of a new Knesset term.

Its main responsibilities include proposing the composition of permanent parliamentary committees before transferring its functions to the Knesset Committee.

The committee is traditionally chaired by a lawmaker from the party whose leader has been tasked with forming a government.

Meanwhile, the Knesset is scheduled to elect a new speaker next Tuesday to replace outgoing Likud lawmaker Amir Ohana.

The parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is also expected to be established in the coming days, with Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman set to chair it.

In Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, compared with 48 for other opposition parties and 19 for Arab parties in the 120-member Knesset.

Together, the opposition and Arab parties hold 67 seats, surpassing the 61-seat majority needed to form a government and pass legislation.

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