Knesset to Vote on New Speaker Following Opposition Request

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana announced that the plenum will convene next Tuesday for a debate and vote to elect a new Speaker of the 26th Knesset. The session follows an unusual request submitted by 67 members of the parliament to replace the current leadership.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc has nominated Matan Kahana of the Yashar party for the role, securing support from Ra'am and the Joint List. Ohana opposed the move, stating the request is intended to advance legislation that would grant excessive power to the Attorney General and deepen the imbalance between elected officials and the unelected bureaucracy.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the nomination of Kahana. Smotrich characterized the reliance on votes from Arab parties as moral bankruptcy and urged Kahana to refuse the position.