Knesset Speaker Ohana: 61 Votes Legitimately Replace Me; Warns of 'Fascist' Golan

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana stated on Monday that if a majority of 61 lawmakers votes to replace him, it would be legitimate, dismissing the possibility of the plenum not convening for an ouster vote. "We are a state of law," Ohana said at the "People of the Nation" conference hosted by ynet and Yediot Ahronot, adding, "I don't think it will reach the High Court. We are law-abiding."

Ohana also addressed a Ynet report about a Likud team aiming to recruit defectors from MK Yitzhak "Yitzhak" Winter's party. "I want to believe that there are people in Winter's list who don't think Israel kills babies as a hobby, who don't think the Islamic Movement should dictate the tone," Ohana commented. He asserted that there are no defectors in Likud and advised Winter to "stay with one eye open," assessing the chances of such defections as low.

Regarding the current political deadlock, Ohana noted that neither bloc currently holds 61 mandates. He criticized Winter, suggesting his ambition to bring 20 mandates endangered the entire national camp and that Winter should withdraw if he wants Netanyahu to remain Prime Minister. Ohana also drew a parallel to Avigdor Lieberman's past actions in 2019.

When questioned about his past criticism of High Court rulings, Ohana reiterated his stance against what he perceives as the "trampling" of the public and the Knesset by the judiciary. He emphasized the importance of checks and balances between branches of government, stating that a situation where one branch has unchecked power is undemocratic. Ohana indicated that if Likud forms the next government, they would bring a "override clause" for the High Court to a Knesset vote, suggesting that even Aharon Barak had previously agreed to such a clause.

Ohana outlined potential coalition partners for a "broad national government," excluding Yair Golan and his associates but stating that Naftali Bennett and others are possible. He suggested that judicial reform, including changing the method of judge selection and balancing the court's power, would be pursued, emphasizing that the Knesset, accountable to the public, should have the final say. He described Golan's potential appointment as National Security Minister as a "great danger to democracy," calling him a "fascist" who wants to silence the public and citing Golan's past actions and statements as evidence.

According to recent poll averages, Netanyahu's bloc has 52 mandates, insufficient to form a government with the current coalition. Winter's bloc also stands at 52 mandates, and forming a "Zionist government" would be difficult without support from the Joint List and Ra'am, unless Winter can secure mandates from Netanyahu's bloc.