The Knesset voted on the so-called Norwegian Law on Thursday morning 14 Menachem Av close to 3 AM. The bill was passed into law in a 64-51 vote, which passed because of the support of the Yisrael Beitenu opposition party. The vote required a minimum of 61 to pass since it amends the Basic Law, demanding a majority of the Knesset’s 120 seats and some coalition members are abroad.

With the new law a minister or deputy minister may resign from Knesset and thereby permit the next person on the party’s lineup to enter Knesset while continuing to serve as a minister or deputy minister.

The vote was also deemed a no-confidence motion and the passing of the law resulted in the coalition’s defeat of the no-confidence motion.

The passing of the law clears the way for a number of persons to enter Knesset. One of the Bayit Yehudi party ministers is expected to resign to permit Shuli Muallem to return to Knesset. Degel Hatorah expects either Deputy Minister Yaakov Litzman or Meir Porush to resign to permit Yaakov Asher of the Degel Hatorah faction to enter Knesset. It remains to be seen if either will do so.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)