Eisenkot Bloc Scores First Knesset Victory Amid Unity Calls
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Gadi Eisenkot's bloc secured its first Knesset victory by approving the organizational commission's composition with 63 votes to 50. The commission will have 22 members, with Likud receiving five seats. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for negotiations between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, opposing Arab party involvement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to advocate for a "government of unity," citing national cohesion during the war. The day also saw heated exchanges in the Knesset and the cancellation of a meeting between Eisenkot and Likud representatives.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot's bloc won its first Knesset vote, approving the organizational commission's makeup with 63 votes.
- The new organizational commission will have 22 members, with Likud receiving five seats.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Netanyahu and Eisenkot to negotiate a unity government.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to call for a "government of unity" after the vote.
- Former PM Naftali Bennett interrupted Netanyahu's speech with critical questions.
- Eisenkot canceled a meeting with Likud representatives following the day's events.
Gadi Eisenkot's bloc achieved its first parliamentary victory in the new Knesset on Wednesday, November 11, when lawmakers approved the composition of the organizational commission. The proposal, put forward by commission chairman Roi Folkman, passed with 63 votes in favor and 50 against, including support from Arab parties. An alternative proposal from coalition chairman Ofir Katz, which would have favored Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, was defeated. The organizational commission will consist of 22 members, with representation allocated based on faction size. Likud will receive five seats, Yashar four, and two seats each will go to Be'ahad, the Joint Arab List, Democrats, and Ra'am. Other parties like Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, Yahadut HaTorah, Shas, and Religious Zionism will each have one representative. Katz had initially proposed a smaller, 18-member commission.
The organizational commission plays a crucial role in the period between elections and government formation, approving permanent committees and establishing temporary ones, including those for finance and foreign affairs and defense. It also handles aspects of parliamentary procedure.
Following the vote, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Netanyahu and Eisenkot to negotiate and agree on the principles for the future government, while opposing a coalition with the support of Arab parties. Netanyahu reiterated his call for a "government of unity" in the Knesset, stating that most Israelis desire it and citing the national cohesion during the recent war. He had made similar calls the previous day, criticizing the "change bloc's" negotiations with Ra'am, which Ynet reported had involved contacts between Netanyahu's associate Natan Eshel and Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas before and after the elections.
During the Knesset session, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett interrupted Netanyahu with questions regarding his advisors, Qatar, and the October 7th investigations. In response to the day's events, Eisenkot canceled a scheduled meeting with Likud representatives.
Netanyahu's bloc did not secure a majority needed to form a coalition after the elections. He had previously stated his willingness to discuss a unity government, insisting on the inclusion of his current ultra-Orthodox partners and Likud leading the government. These statements came amid initial contacts between Yahadut HaTorah and Eisenkot.
The first meeting of the organizational commission was marked by a heated exchange, with MKs reminding Likud's Erez Tadmor of his past military conviction. Tadmor then insulted MK Merav Ben-Ari and recalled past actions of MK Naama Lazimi, who responded, "Here is your unity."
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