Following the swearing in ceremony of the 24th Knesset plenum and after taking office as full-fledged Knesset members, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) and Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) on Tuesday evening submitted a letter of resignation from the Knesset.
The two resigned under the Norwegian Law and in order to allow for the candidates which follow them on the slates of United Torah Judaism and Shas - Yaakov Tessler and Yosef Tayeb - to enter the Knesset.
The two submitted their letters of resignation to Knesset Speaker MK Yariv Levin in his office.
A few hours later, Deputy Minister of Transportation Uri Maklev submitted a letter of resignation under the Norwegian Law as well in order to permit the next candidate on the UTJ slate, Eliyahu Baruchi, to enter the Knesset.
The Norwegian Law was approved about a year ago as part of the coalition agreement signed between the Likud and Blue and White parties.
The bill provides for an arrangement that will allow Knesset members appointed as ministers or deputy ministers to terminate their membership in the Knesset for the period during which they serve in the ministerial position, in order to include other Knesset members and resume their tenure as MKs after their terms as ministers conclude.