The Knesset plenum passed the "Mofaz Bill" in its first reading. The bill aims to make it easier for Knesset political factions to split, requiring only seven members to split off to form a new faction instead of the current one-third of the party required for the faction to be considered legal. The bill has been nicknamed for Shaul Mofaz because it is speculated that he will be the first to exercise it in order to break from Kadima ranks.
The bill was passed with a majority of 62 votes in favor and 47 against(Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was booed by the opposition when he voted in favor of the bill).
Kadima MKs ousted from plenum for wearing masks during the vote.
The bill was passed with a majority of 62 votes in favor and 47 against(Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was booed by the opposition when he voted in favor of the bill).
Kadima MKs ousted from plenum for wearing masks during the vote.
During the vote, several Kadima MKs caused commotion by wearing masks on their faces, which they said were to protect them "from the political stench."
Deputy Knesset Speaker Alex Miller ordered stewards to remove the mask-wearers from the plenum.
Deputy Knesset Speaker Alex Miller ordered stewards to remove the mask-wearers from the plenum.
Deputy Knesset Speaker Alex Miller (Israel Beiteinu), who had been tasked with running the plenum during Rivlin's absence, found himself confronted by a number of senior opposition lawmakers including Eli Aflalo (Kadima), Ronnie Bar-On (Kadima) and Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al). They yelled at his decisions, while he himself berated Kadima faction chairwoman Dalia Itzik.
"You, as a former Knesset speaker, have disgraced the Knesset, your faction and the plenum," Miller yelled, as Livni stood next to her seat, grinning and writing on a face mask.
"The playground behavior of Kadima and of its leader, Tzipi Livni, is the behavior of a scared party that is disgracing the Knesset and harming Israeli democracy," Likud spokeswoman Nili Richman said shortly after the outburst. "It is a pity that their protests do not show respect for the public that sent Kadima to the opposition, as a party that is not content with the democratic outcome."
"The playground behavior of Kadima and of its leader, Tzipi Livni, is the behavior of a scared party that is disgracing the Knesset and harming Israeli democracy," Likud spokeswoman Nili Richman said shortly after the outburst. "It is a pity that their protests do not show respect for the public that sent Kadima to the opposition, as a party that is not content with the democratic outcome."
"True, this is an act that does not fall in the realm of a normal parliamentary tool, but the stench that emanates from Netanyahu's laws of survival calls for such a drastic step," Kadima MK Yoel Hasson said. "The entire public needs to know what kind of bad smell is wafting from the Knesset today."