Knesset Approves Steering Committee Amid Likud Accusations of Alliance with Arab Parties

The Knesset plenum on Wednesday approved the formation of the Steering Committee, a key parliamentary body, with a vote of 63 in favor and 50 against. The committee will comprise 22 members and be chaired by MK Roee Folkman of the Yesh Atid party. The vote followed a failure by representatives of the parties elected to the 26th Knesset to reach an agreement on the committee's proportional composition. Two proposals were presented to the plenum: one by Folkman and another by the outgoing coalition chairman, Likud MK Ofir Katz. The approved composition allocates five seats to the Likud, four to Yesh Atid, two each to the National Unity and Joint List parties, two to the Democratic Front, two to Ra'am, and one seat each to Israel Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Religious Zionism. Following the vote, Folkman stated, "Good politics, in my opinion, is pragmatic politics. Decency is something that cannot be legislated, but there are norms and there are laws. I offered MK Katz agreements on the composition; I am a man of agreements. Disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing is unnecessary and a shame to create tensions." The Likud sharply criticized the outcome and the coalition that led to its approval. In a statement, the party declared, "It has begun. The parties of Izankot, Lieberman, and Bennett voted today together with Tibi and Abbas in the Knesset plenum." The Likud urged parties in the "change bloc" to return to dialogue, calling on them to "unite" and "cease cooperation with supporters of terrorism who boycott the national anthem." The Steering Committee is expected to convene later on Wednesday. Its primary role will be to advance the establishment of the Knesset's permanent committees. Until the Knesset Committee is formed, the Steering Committee also holds authority over the house's procedures, plenum discussions, and the appointment of temporary Knesset deputy speakers.