4 new deputy ministers appointed by cabinet; 2 more MKs sworn in
Ministers Ayelet Shaked and Karine Elharar resign from parliamentary duties under so-called Norwegian Law, making way for MKs Yomtob Kalfon and Inbar Bezeq
The cabinet on Monday approved four new deputy ministers, as two new coalition lawmakers were sworn into the Knesset following the resignation of Yamina’s and Yesh Atid’s ministers under the so-called “Norwegian Law.”
The cabinet informed the Knesset of four new political appointments: Yamina’s Abir Kara as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, who will oversee economic reforms; Yesh Atid’s Idan Roll as deputy foreign minister; Blue and White’s Alon Schuster as deputy defense minister; and Yesh Atid’s Yoav Segalovitz, formerly a senior police officer, as deputy public security minister.
Separately, Yamina’s Yomtob Kalfon was sworn into parliament Monday after Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked resigned from the Knesset under the Norwegian Law, while Yesh Atid’s Inbar Bezek replaced Energy Minister Karine Elharar in the parliament.
The law allows any MK who is appointed to a cabinet post to step down temporarily from the Knesset, thereby permitting the next candidate on the party’s slate to enter parliament in their stead.
At least 16 other new MKs have been or will be sworn in under the Norwegian Law following the establishment of the government. All three of Yisrael Beytenu’s ministers gave up their Knesset seats, as did three of the four Blue and White ministers. In Yesh Atid, only two ministers resigned from the Knesset, the same number as in New Hope. Two ministers in Meretz resigned and just one of Labor’s three ministers did as well.
In the past, lawmakers of opposition parties — including Yamina and Yesh Atid — argued against implementing the Norwegian Law, claiming that it massively increased government expenditures. Proponents maintain that MKs who are also ministers do not have enough time to tend to their parliamentary duties and are thus unable to serve the public effectively.
The new cabinet has 28 ministers and six deputy ministers, making it the third-largest government in Israel’s history. The former government under Benjamin Netanyahu had 35 cabinet ministers.
