Israeli Political Leaders Agree on New Knesset Speaker

Leaders of the "Change Bloc" parties, Avigdor Lieberman and Gadi Eisenkot, met on Monday, November 9, and agreed on a candidate for the next Knesset speaker, who will replace Amir Ohana. The position is expected to go to a representative of the "Yashar" party. Eisenkot, who received the mandate to form a government from the president, might take the role himself. Other bloc leaders, Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan, deferred the decision to Lieberman and Eisenkot, despite prior disagreements.

Despite ongoing difficulties, Lieberman and Eisenkot expressed confidence in forming a stable four-year government. The name of the future speaker will not be announced until Bennett and Golan officially consent. Agreements were also reached on other contentious issues, though the composition of the future government remains a primary point of contention.

The opposition is eager to replace Ohana because the Knesset speaker must schedule a swearing-in ceremony for a new government within a week of the mandate holder notifying the president. If Ohana remains speaker, he could delay the ceremony to pressure Likud members against the new government. The "Change Bloc" has requested Ohana hold a vote on his removal on Tuesday, the day the new Knesset is sworn in. Ohana stated he would hold the vote within a week if presented with signatures from 61 lawmakers.

The Knesset speaker holds significant power in setting the parliamentary agenda and advancing legislation. Appointing a new speaker before the government is formed would allow the "Change Bloc" to control the legislative agenda, potentially advancing key initiatives like a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 events or a bill limiting prime ministerial terms. However, passing such laws would still require a parliamentary majority, which is not guaranteed, as some lawmakers may support changing the speaker but not controversial legislation.