The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill on Sunday that could set back former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s campaign in the next elections over outstanding debts he has from former political parties.
The bill was initiated by Likud MK Avichay Boaron, and places “responsibility” on a party leader to pay off former debts from other political parties before creating a new one.
It is titled “Responsibility of a Party Leader for Debts of a Faction that Ceased to Exist.” Now approved, it will move on to the Knesset plenum for further stages of advancement.
Bennett had registered a new party in April under the name “Bennett 2026” to run in the next elections, currently scheduled for October 2026.
Meanwhile, Bennett’s former Yamina Party left debts of approximately NIS 17 million, while Bayit Yehudi left debts of NIS 3m., according to KAN.
The bill will reportedly face legal criticism for appearing to be designed to harm a specific candidate ahead of the elections.
Bennett strongly criticized the bill’s expected advancement on Sunday, calling it “unconstitutional.”
“Only a failed government, obsessed with its personal and political survival, is afraid to face me. That’s why it is trying to pass an anti-democratic, personal law intended to prevent me from running and to stop the country from moving forward toward unity and recovery,” Bennett wrote.
'Law is unconstitutional' - Bennett
“This will not work,” he added. “The law is unconstitutional and will be struck down immediately.”
In response to Bennett’s statement, Boaron addressed him directly on X/Twitter.
“First, cover your financial debts to the public. Only then start a new campaign. There is absolutely no reason why, while you owe NIS 17m. to the public and to suppliers, you should launch another multi-million-shekel campaign, at the public’s expense,” Boaron wrote.
“Pay your debts, then run. If you don’t pay your debts, don’t even start.”
The bill states that “in recent years, we have witnessed a phenomenon in which parties that fail to get re-elected to the Knesset are left with substantial debts, both to the state treasury and to private suppliers, due to improper financial management.
“There have been cases in which individuals who led a party left with such debts sought to establish a new party before ensuring repayment of debts from their previous party,” it adds. “The purpose of the bill is to prevent such situations.”
After the bill was approved, Boaron said the law “was not personal” since there are other parties, in addition to Bennett’s, that have debts to pay.
“It doesn’t prevent candidacy because it [the bill] simply states that the new party’s funding will first go to paying off past debts, and only afterward to new suppliers. Run for office, but pay first,” he said.
Addressing claims that Likud and other parties also have debts, Boaron said “there’s a huge difference” since those parties “are not running away from their debts but are standing behind them and paying them monthly.”