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Political Turmoil: Netanyahu’s Coalition Faces Crisis as Rivals Grapple for Power Amidst Government Resignations

Netanyahu’s Political Dilemmas: Will Yariv Levin Resign from the Government?

Internal Strife Between Political Factions

The resignation of Almog Cohen from his role as Deputy Minister and his subsequent return to the Knesset under the Norwegian Law have reignited internal conflicts between the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties. These two factions, which campaigned together during the elections, are now operating separately within the Knesset, creating a precarious situation as the balance of power shifts. The Religious Zionism list, encompassing three factions, secured 14 mandates – allocating start member to the Noam party, six to Otzma Yehudit, and seven to Religious Zionism.

Following the application of the Norwegian Law, ministers stepped down, allowing other Knesset members to replace them. Despite this reshuffling, the composition maintained Otzma Yehudit’s six members and Religious Zionism’s seven members. A major rift occurred when Otzma Yehudit ministers, led by Itamar Ben Gvir, resigned from the government in protest against the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, returning to the Knesset and subsequently forcing Knesset member Tsvi Sukot from Religious Zionism out of the Knesset.

The Balance of Power Shifts

As hostilities resumed, Otzma Yehudit ministers returned to their positions, altering the balance of power again. This resulted in Religious Zionism having six members while Otzma Yehudit had seven. The evident solution would involve Ben Gvir resigning from the Knesset, allowing Sukot to return; however, Ben Gvir is reluctant to do so amid ongoing legal proceedings against his role as Minister of National Security. He believes that remaining a Knesset member would complicate efforts by the High Court to remove him from his ministerial post.

To restore equilibrium, two scenarios were considered: Bezalel Smotrich, who leads Religious Zionism, could resign from the government and return to the Knesset, thereby pushing Otzma Yehudit’s Yitzhak Krozner out; or an additional member from Otzma Yehudit could join the government and subsequently resign from the Knesset, preserving Krozner’s position.

The Complications of Cohen’s Resignation

Smotrich announced his intent to leave the government, but before his resignation took effect, Cohen, who has a tenuous relationship with Ben Gvir, reached an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to become a Deputy Minister and resign from the Knesset. This maneuver temporarily preserved the balance, with seven members for Religious Zionism and six for Otzma Yehudit. Subsequently, Cohen’s resignation led to Sukot’s ousting from the Knesset, restoring the current situation of seven Otzma Yehudit members against six Religious Zionism members.

If Ben Gvir refrains from resigning, Smotrich might be compelled to exit the government himself to remove Krozner and reestablish the balance.

The Critical Role of Krozner

The significance of Krozner’s remaining in the Knesset is underscored by his critical position on the Judicial Selection Committee, which consists of nine members, including government representatives, opposition members, judges, and representatives of the Bar Association. According to Section 7 of the Judicial Authority Law, appointing a judge to the Supreme Court requires the agreement of at least seven committee members. If a member resigns, the threshold is lowered, allowing for simple majority rule provided that it exceeds two fewer than the total present.

Currently, by holding three committee positions, the coalition can delay the appointment of three missing Supreme Court judges. Removing Krozner could jeopardize this power and empower the opposition, along with the judges’ and lawyers’ representatives, to appoint judges without coalition consent, a situation that the coalition would find difficult to remedy.

Due to the stakes involved in Krozner’s potential ousting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Juststart Yariv Levin has warned Netanyahu that Krozner’s dismissal from the Knesset would prompt his own resignation from the government. This threat led to the arrangement in which Cohen was appointed Deputy Minister and resigned from the Knesset.

Should no Otzma Yehudit member replace Cohen in the government, Levin is expected to reiterate his resignation threat if Krozner is removed from the Judicial Selection Committee, potentially undermining Levin’s control over that body. If Netanyahu fails to appease Cohen by granting him control of the Negev airport, a political crisis is likely to unfold this week as negotiations continue.

Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, Almog Cohen, Yariv Levin, Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Tsvi Sukot, Yitzhak Krozner

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