Israeli opposition hurries to seize control as new Knesset is sworn in

Israel's opposition parties have moved swiftly to assert control over the Knesset following the swearing-in of the newly elected parliament, seeking to use their legislative majority against Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.

Although the six opposition factions remain divided over building a governing coalition, they have formally called for a vote to install a new Knesset speaker. Securing the speaker post, currently held by Netanyahu ally Amir Ohana, would grant them authority over the parliamentary schedule. This step would allow the opposition bloc to advance crucial bills regardless of whether they finalize a formal government agreement.

Their immediate legislative goals include establishing a formal state inquiry into the October 7, 2023, attacks, introducing prime ministerial term limits, and undoing judicial overhaul laws previously enacted by Netanyahu's administration. Setting term limits could effectively prevent Netanyahu, who has led Israel for 19 of the past 30 years, from holding the premiership again.

Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief and head of the Yashar party, currently holds the official mandate to assemble a ruling coalition. He has six weeks to secure an agreement among parties with competing platforms. Should he fail, the mandate is expected to pass to Netanyahu. If neither manages to form a government, Israel could face another national election, leaving Netanyahu in place as caretaker prime minister in the interim.

Addressing the Knesset on Tuesday, Netanyahu launched fierce verbal attacks on two Palestinian-led parties, whose support helped shift the majority away from his coalition, labeling their parliamentarians "terror supporters." The remarks prompted immediate walkouts by Democrats leader Yair Golan and former police chief Yoav Segalovich, who ran on the Ra'am party list.

Eisenkot condemned the address, describing it as a divisive and hate-filled misuse of a state ceremony that proved the longtime prime minister was unfit to lead. While acknowledging that building a stable alliance across disparate political factions would be extraordinarily complex, Eisenkot argued that removing Netanyahu from office represents an urgent priority that may necessitate compromise.

During the ceremony, President Isaac Herzog urged the newly sworn-in members of parliament to seek common ground and avert another costly political deadlock, emphasizing that lawmakers must make every effort to avoid sending the country back to the polls.

Ohana has scheduled the vote on selecting a new speaker for next Tuesday, utilizing the latest permitted date under parliamentary rules. Meanwhile, opposition legislators have already put forward nominees to lead influential Knesset panels, including the defence and finance committees.