Likud faction chair MK Ofir Katz informed party members of upcoming internal elections for the position of Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman.
Katz announced that the vote will take place this Wednesday, in accordance with the Likud constitution. Candidates may submit their nominations until Tuesday.
As of now, MKs Hanoch Milwidsky and Nissim Vaturi have declared their intention to run for the role, which is considered one of the most central and influential in the Knesset.
Calls within Likud to remove MK Yuli Edelstein escalated after he refused to advance the Draft Law bill supported by haredi MKs with Likud backing.
Milwidsky explained that Edelstein’s replacement is necessary since "for long time, Edelstein has been working in a confrontational manner towards the Prime Minister and party leader, towards Likud party members and members of other coalition parties, which has led to a serious coalition crisis."
“A committee chairman who is elected to his position by the Likud party cannot act in the Knesset as a one-man faction and ignore the positions and views of other party members,” he said.
“Under these circumstances,” Milwidsky concluded, “and in order to maintain a unified coalition until the end of the current Knesset term in October 2026, regardless of whether it is decided to advance the Draft Law or not, there is no choice but to replace the chair of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee through democratic elections within the Likud faction.”