‘Change government’ looking to pass series of bills in months after swearing-in

With the “change government” due to be sworn in tomorrow afternoon, the parties in the emerging coalition are planning to pass a series of bills in the coming months.

The bills include amendments to Israel’s quasi-constitutional basic laws, with the aim of shoring up the diverse coalition that ranges from the right-wing Yamina and New Hope parties to the left-wing Meretz and Islamist Ra’am.

Other legislative proposals that the prospective government seeks to pass include extending the amount of time it has to pass a state budget to 145 days, and expanding the number of ministers who can give up their Knesset seat to other members of their parties, according to Channel 12 news.

The proposed government, which is backed by a razor-thin majority of 61 MKs in the 120-member Knesset, will first see Yamina chief Naftali Bennett take over as premier from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader who has held the premiership for over 12 consecutive years. Bennett is set to be replaced as prime minister after two years by Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.