A bill which would allow for four MKs to break off from their party factions in the Knesset passed its first reading on the Knesset plenum by a majority of 57 to 42 on Monday night.The bill will now go to an arrangements committee who will choose the relevant committees entrusted with preparing it for its second and third readings.
Under the current law, one-third of the Knesset members in the faction are required to enable MKs to break off. The new bill, which was set to be brought to a preliminary reading in the plenum on Monday night, would change the law and require only four MKs.
The goal of the bill is to enable the coalition to recruit four of the 30 Likud MKs and no longer have to rely on the four Ra’am (United Arab List) MKs, who have given the coalition a hard time in passing the controversial family reunification bill.