Opposition leaders eye Knesset speaker ouster with Arab votes

As the Knesset prepares to convene following the election, and with the emerging results for the anti-Netanyahu camp, leaders of the "change bloc" are holding intensive contacts to oust sitting Knesset speaker Amir Ohana before a government is formed. The move, which requires a majority of 61 MKs, places the Arab parties in the position of kingmakers and has drawn sharp reactions from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's circle.

According to a report Wednesday in Ynet, Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman, Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, and Beyachad chairman Naftali Bennett are holding talks to coordinate strategic moves against the prime minister. The bloc's central goal: replacing the Knesset speaker before the new government takes office.

The legal basis for the move rests on a 2020 High Court ruling that if 61 MKs demand a vote on electing a new Knesset speaker, it must be held even before government formation. The speaker's role grants critical control over the legislative agenda, making it a strategic prize for both political camps.

The main obstacle facing the change bloc is arithmetic: with 85.6% of votes counted, Likud won 26 seats, Shas 7, United Torah Judaism 7, Otzma Yehudit 7, and Religious Zionism-Zehut 6, a total of 53 seats for Netanyahu's bloc. The opposition holds 48 seats: Yashar with 21, Beyachad 12, the Democrats 8, and Yisrael Beiteinu 7. The Arab parties; the Joint List with 12 seats and Ra'am with 7, hold the deciding power with 19 seats.

Joint List chairman Ahmad Tibi made clear this morning in an interview with Saudi television network Al-Hadath where his party stands. "The first step will be to bring down the Knesset speaker, Amir Ohana," Tibi said. "I say on behalf of the Joint List, we will vote to bring him down and we will vote for the opposition candidate presented by the opposition parties."

Arab MKs (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Netanyahu's circle is preparing a broad counter-campaign. According to the report, the campaign will question the public legitimacy of a move that relies on support from Arab MKs. Netanyahu himself has not yet addressed the move directly, but senior Likud figures are delivering sharp messages against "reliance on Arab votes."

Beyond the immediate parliamentary move, Eisenkot, Bennett and Liberman are examining the formation of a coordinated bloc that would act as a single unit facing Likud. Such a center-right axis is designed to increase their bargaining power in coalition negotiations, and could even reduce the influence of Otzma Yehudit and the chareidi parties. The bloc is carefully considering whether to include Yair Golan's Democrats party in the coordination, due to concerns about damaging the center-right image of the new axis.

President Yitzchak Herzog addressed party leaders this morning with a clear call. "Everything must be done, certainly after yesterday, to avoid returning to another election," Herzog declared. "I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind," he added, emphasizing the need for political responsibility. The president made clear he will receive the official and final results next week from Central Elections Committee chairman Judge Noam Solberg, and immediately afterward will begin consultations with party leaders.