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Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Ben Gvir and Otzma Yehudit again boycott Knesset vote
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir speaks during a discussion in the Knesset in Jerusalem, on May 15, 2023. Photo by (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
An opposition bill passes in the Knesset as the far-right Otzma Yehudit party again boycotts Knesset votes.
Hebrew media reports say that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his party walked out in protest at not getting enough money allocated to the ministry responsible for Negev and Galilee regions in the upcoming budget.
Ben Gvir only last week ended a previous boycott over the government’s “feeble” response to rocket fire from Gaza.
In response, coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz slammed Otzma Yehudit, saying they were “paving the way for the fall of the right-wing government.”
