Election Committee Head Rules on MK Party Switching, Aiding Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit

The chairman of the Knesset's Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, has issued a ruling clarifying the conditions under which Knesset members can switch parties ahead of elections. Sohlberg determined that generally, a Knesset member representing a specific faction in the outgoing Knesset who appears on a candidate list of a party represented by a different faction is considered to have left their original faction. However, Sohlberg established a significant exception for cases where the departure is consensual.

In such agreed-upon situations, Sohlberg stated, a formal faction split process is not necessary. Instead, explicit written consent for the Knesset member's departure suffices. This decision could have significant implications for MK Limor Gottlieb, who is reportedly considering leaving the Likud party to run with Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit faction.

If Gottlieb obtains written consent from the Likud for her departure, she may be able to run on a different list without needing to undergo an official faction split. Sohlberg emphasized, however, that his opinion was presented to the Central Elections Committee for its upcoming session, and the final decision rests with the committee itself.