MKs Submit Request to Replace Knesset Speaker Ohana

Speaker Ohana announced on Tuesday that he has scheduled the debate and vote on his replacement for next Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., utilizing the maximum time allowed under parliamentary procedure. While pledging to honor the majority's will, Ohana criticized the move, suggesting it is designed to advance legislation that would empower the Attorney General and deepen the imbalance between elected officials and civil servants.

The initiative is a key strategy for the opposition bloc to gain control over the Knesset's legislative agenda before a new coalition is finalized. The bloc plans to advance legislation, including the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre and the repeal of laws enacted by the outgoing government. The vote will serve as the first major test of the anti-Netanyahu bloc's parliamentary majority.

The move has sparked strong opposition from the outgoing coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the initiative as illegitimate and morally bankrupt, specifically targeting Kahana's reliance on votes from Arab parties, including Ra'am and the Joint List, whose members signed the request. Esti Yaniv, the mother of terror victims Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, also publicly criticized Kahana for utilizing Arab party votes.