Likud Accuses Blue and White of “Stealing Knesset”

By Staff, Agencies

The “Israeli” Likud party, led by caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday accused the Blue and White alliance chaired by Netanyahu's arch-rival Benny Gantz of "stealing the Parliament".

In its statement, as cited by Channel 13, Likud vowed that its right-wing bloc, which commands 58 seats in the 120-seat legislative body, will continue to ignore its proceedings.

The message followed the overnight votes that saw lawmakers green-light establishing the Arrangements Committee and six more interim committees.

These included Finance and Foreign Affairs and military panels, with the latter set to establish a special committee that will supervise the contentious coronavirus patients surveillance program led by Shin Bet, “Israeli” Security Agency.

Other special committees to be established will focus on education, violence in Arab communities and labor and welfare; the four special panels will need to be approved by the plenum on Tuesday.

Likud and its allies reportedly have no controlling stake or clear leadership positions in any of the above committees, which prompted the party to say Tuesday that the overnight proceedings ignored the will of Israel's 2.5 million right-wing voters.