Deri calls to boycott Knesset committee

Shas leader Arye Deri called upon the other heads of parties in the opposition to boycott chairmanship of Knesset committees, to protest the behavior of the governing coalition.

The committees are set to be allocated next week. The opposition is typically given the chairmanship of four or five committees.

The chairmanship of the Knesset Science and Technology Committee was set to be given to Shas. But Deri said his party would reject the offer.

“We should refuse to take the crumbs we are offered by the illegitimate coalition,” Deri told his faction. “The government came to power through lies and trickery, and there is no reason we should cooperate with it.”

Deri said the coalition could keep the chairmanship of the committees and the opposition will focus on bringing the government down.

The steps Deri protested included a series of bills the coalition will bring to the cabinet on Sunday and to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation when it meets for the first time under new Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

The bills are intended to legislate the rotation between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair

Lapid and ensure that there will be parity between the blocs in the government.

One bill would make it easier for MKs to break off from large parties. The bill is intended to help the coalition woo disgruntled MKs from Likud.

The coalition also intends to expand the Norwegian Law, which enables ministers and deputy ministers to resign from the Knesset in favor of the next candidates on their party’s list. The ministers can return to the Knesset if they resign from the cabinet.

The law is intended to allow for more full time MKs who can help the Knesset function better. Fourteen current ministers have resigned so far. The marathon filibuster of the opposition on Monday night that kept the Knesset going until past 4 a.m. persuaded more ministers to resign.

The cabinet will not vote on a controversial ordinance preventing family reunification of Palestinians and Arab-Israelis that must come to a vote in the Knesset next week. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked is unwilling to change the bill, despite demands from Arab MKs in the coalition.

Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej (Meretz) said he would not support the bill in its current format, even if it meant having to resign his cabinet post.