New Israeli Knesset sworn in, opposition moves to take control of parliament

Following the swearing-in of Israel's new parliament, opposition lawmakers requested a vote to replace the parliamentary speaker who sets the agenda, seeking to wrest control from Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.

In Israel's newly sworn-in Knesset, opposition parties—which have yet to agree on forming a government—used their majority to call for a vote to replace the speaker who determines the parliamentary agenda. By replacing the incumbent speaker and Netanyahu ally Amir Ohana, the six opposition parties could enact legislation even without forming a coalition. These priorities include establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 attacks and introducing term limits that could prevent Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister for 19 of the past 30 years, from returning to power.

If former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming a government, fails to reach an agreement within six weeks, the process will pass to a second candidate. Meanwhile, in his speech at the swearing-in ceremony, Netanyahu accused two Palestinian opposition parties of supporting terrorism, while Eisenkot described the remarks as disgraceful and divisive. President Isaac Herzog called on members of parliament to compromise, emphasizing the need to avoid a new election.