MK Boaz Bismuth (Likud) was elected today (Wednesday) by the Likud faction to the position of Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
29 Knesset members voted for Bismuth, compared to four who voted for the current chairman, MK Yuli Edelstein.
Channel 12 News reported Tuesday that the Prime Minister recently offered MK Bismuth an ambassadorial post in a major European country in exchange for withdrawing his candidacy for the committee chairmanship. Bismuth reportedly declined the offer.
The Likud's legal advisor, Attorney Avi Halevy, issued a legal opinion Tuesday evening stating that the election for the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee does not require a secret ballot, despite a formal request submitted by one-tenth of Knesset members.