The opposition party Yesh Atid began collecting signatures in order to launch a process for proposing a new bill to disperse the Knesset, which would lead to an election, the party announced on Sunday.
The party will need the signatures of at least 61 MKs in order to file a request to Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana to approve the new proposal. This is because the previous attempt to pass the bill failed on June 12, and, barring Ohana’s approval, an identical bill cannot be proposed for six months.
Despite the current opposition numbering just 52 MKs, Yesh Atid hopes to receive the support of ultra-Orthodox (haredi) MKs, who have threatened to bring down the government over its delay in passing a bill to regulate haredi service in the IDF.
The previous attempt failed on the eve of Israel’s surprise attack on Iran, after haredi negotiators reached a compromise with Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) chairman MK Yuli Edelstein on the content of the haredi service bill.
Edelstein has since appeared to have reneged on some of the agreements, arguing in an interview on Kan Radio last week that he had “no choice” but to reach a deal due to the impending attack. Edelstein and others have argued that the attack could have been called off if the bill to disperse the Knesset had passed its preliminary vote that evening.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that in addition to Edelstein and National Security Cabinet member Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri, who both knew of the impending attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also revealed details of the attack to Degel Hatorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni in an attempt to convince him to refrain from dispersing the Knesset.
Yesh Atid's request to Ohana based on 'change of circumstances'
Yesh Atid’s new request to Ohana is based on a “change of circumstances.” While haredi MKs have been boycotting new legislation by private MKs since May, last week they began boycotting government and advanced legislation as well. This effectively shut down all legislation and thus justified a new request to disperse the Knesset, a party spokesperson explained.
The bill to disperse the Knesset is a private bill and therefore would need to pass a preliminary vote. In order for the preliminary vote to be held prior to the Knesset recess on July 27, the request to approve the new legislation would need to be submitted by Monday (July 14) at noon. This is the weekly deadline for new legislation, and, as per tradition, next week, the last full week of the Knesset summer term, there will be no new legislation.
Even if the bill passes its preliminary vote in the plenum by July 27, it must still go through two votes in a Knesset committee (likely the Knesset Home Committee, chaired by Coalition Whip MK Ofir Katz) and three votes in the Knesset plenum. The Knesset can convene during the recess in specific circumstances, but this requires additional approvals, which would lengthen the process.