Likud Central Committee members are exerting heavy pressure on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to allow the ruling Likud party to apply the Israeli version of the Norwegian Law.
The law, which passed its first reading late Wednesday night, would allow one minister or deputy minister from each party to resign from the Knesset - paving the way for new MKs to enter.
According to the law, which was promoted by the Jewish Home party, the new MKs who enter in place of the resigning ministers or deputy ministers will serve as MKs so long as the ministers they replaced are in office.
Likud's goal is for one minister to resign and for the party's #31, Sharon Haskell, to enter the Knesset. Arutz Sheva has learned, however, that Netanyahu is opposed to implementing the law within his party.
The Prime Minister explained to his associates that Likud MKs should continue to serve as ministers as it helps maintain the faction's stability as well as its control over the coalition.
Furthermore, Netanyahu noted, Minister Ofir Akunis may soon be appointed ambassador to China and Minister Danny Danon Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, in which case two Likud seats and two major roles within the party - Party Secretary and World Likud chairman - would be open.
In an attempt to mitigate the pressure being exerted on him by Central Committee members, Netanyahu has asked Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) to restrict the Norwegian Law to parties with up to 11 Knesset seats.