Israeli "Change Bloc" Leaders Meet, Agree to Oust Knesset Speaker

Leaders of Israel's "Change Bloc" concluded a meeting Tuesday at the Dan Accadia Hotel in Herzliya with only partial agreement. The bloc, comprising Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Golan, and Yair Lapid, agreed to work towards ousting the current Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana, but failed to reach consensus on his successor. The meeting, the first since election results were published, began at 11:30 AM.

A key point of contention is the demand for Yair Lapid to be appointed Knesset Speaker. Some partners in the bloc are reportedly hesitant to concentrate too much power in the hands of Gadi Eisenkot, should he receive the mandate to form a government. They cite the lack of parliamentary experience within Eisenkot's "Yash!" party as a reason for their preference for Lapid.

Following the meeting, it was confirmed that no candidate for Knesset Speaker had been agreed upon, though all parties committed to removing Ohana. Gadi Eisenkot did not hold a press conference afterward, deviating from custom.

Concurrently, Yair Golan met with leaders of the Joint List, Yosef Jabareen and Ahmed Tibi. Their discussions focused on coordinating efforts to achieve a parliamentary majority and replace the Netanyahu government, as well as addressing issues concerning the Arab public. They agreed to continue coordinating their political actions.

Avigdor Lieberman had previously tweeted his commitment to preventing further elections and forming a stable government without the Islamist Ra'am party or the Joint List. Naftali Bennett stated after the meeting that the bloc must "urgently" take control of the Knesset and the mandate to form a government, aiming to establish a "Zionist correction government" and reform the civil service. Yair Lapid, entering the meeting, decried what he called a "serious and dangerous attempt to harm the election results" and stressed the need to remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's office.