Knesset member Yisrael Eichler (United Torah Judaism) spoke in front of the Knesset in a plea to lower the number of votes needed in national elections to sit in the Knesset.
Until 1988, the amount of total votes needed for a party to gain a Knesset seat was only 1%. It was raised to 1.5% and remained there until 2003, when it rose to 2%. In 2014, it was raised to 3.25% or approximately four Knesset seats.
Eichler supports lowering the electoral threshold to 1.5% or approximately 70,000 votes so that "smaller parties will gain representation." He urged the Likud and Blue and White parties to support such an initiative.