‘Norwegian Law’ Passes Preliminary Knesset Vote

A bill allowing ministers and deputy ministers to give up their positions as MKs in order to enable a different member of their party slate to take their spot in the Knesset passed its preliminary Knesset plenary reading on Wednesday.

The proposal for the so-called Norwegian Law was approved with 66 MKs for and 42 MKs against, with no abstentions. The vote was the first victory for the new coalition.

The bill must now face three Knesset readings before being passed into law.

The law will be of the most help to the Blue and White party, the members of which are almost all either ministers or deputy ministers after the party joined the coalition, and with this law will be able to increase its influence in the government.

If the law passes, five Blue and White ministers and seven ministers from the Likud, Shas and UTJ would step down as MKs.

If Blue and White members utilize the law, additional members of the opposition’s Yesh Atid-Telem party, which split from Blue and White after the elections, would become MKs.

According to Yediot Acharonot, Blue and White is attempting to convince Telem’s Michal Kotler-Wansh and Yesh Atid’s Tehila Friedman – both next on the list after the MKs – to join Blue and White and become part of the coalition, where they would receive senior positions upon becoming MKs.