The key facts

  • Lawmaker Tali Gottlieb (Otzma Yehudit) was removed from the first meeting of the Knesset organizing committee for repeated interruptions
  • The committee's composition was approved 63 votes to 50 — the first defeat of Netanyahu's bloc in the new Knesset
  • The heads of the temporary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (Liberman) and the Finance Committee (Liran Avizar Ben-Hurin) were approved

Chaos at the first meeting

The first meeting of the organizing committee of the new Knesset ended in scandal: lawmakers exchanged insults and shouted at each other, and one legislator was removed from the chamber. Committee chairman Roy Folkman of the Yashar party of former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot ordered Tali Gottlieb of the Otzma Yehudit faction of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to be removed after she repeatedly interrupted speakers. According to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Gottlieb continued shouting and protesting as she was escorted out of the chamber.

Mutual insults

The confrontation began almost immediately after Folkman opened the floor to lawmakers. Women lawmakers called the Likud newcomer Erez Tadmor an 'arms thief,' recalling his conviction for stealing military property during his army service — he was sentenced to 45 days in prison. Tadmor, in turn, called lawmaker Merav Ben-Ari a 'chicken,' which triggered a new wave of shouting: the women accused him of misogyny. He also called for unity while accusing Eisenkot's bloc of allying with Arab parties that, in his words, support terrorism.

Committee decisions and political context

Despite the meeting's breakdown, the committee managed to pass decisions. Earlier the same day, the Knesset approved the committee's composition 63 votes to 50 — the first defeat of interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc in the newly elected parliament. The interim panel manages parliamentary affairs and forms committees while negotiations on the next government continue. According to Channel 7, the committee approved Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman as head of the temporary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and lawmaker Liran Avizar Ben-Hurin as head of the temporary Finance Committee. The dispute flared ahead of the November 17 vote on replacing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Netanyahu ally. Eisenkot is leading negotiations to form a government after the October 27 election produced no clear winner.