Expanding ‘Norwegian Law’ to cost $2.4 million per year, Knesset committee says

On its first day of deliberations over expanding the so-called Norwegian Law to allow more government ministers to resign from the Knesset and hand their seats to party colleagues, the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee estimates that the proposed changes would cost taxpayers an additional NIS 8.5 million ($2.4 million) per year in the current Knesset, based on the marginal cost of five new MKs a year.

The bill would increase the maximum number of ministers allowed to quit as lawmakers — and then return to the Knesset when they no longer hold their ministerial role — from five to 10 for large parties only (one-third the total for parties that have at least 18 lawmakers). The only party in the current coalition to be affected by the legislation is the 32-member ruling Likud.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the bill in order to ease the path of his senior Likud party members with ministries out of the Knesset, paving the way for less powerful backbench lawmakers to take their parliamentary seats. Lambasted by several of Likud lawmakers for the sweeping concessions he made in coalition negotiations with Likud’s far-right and religious partners, Netanyahu is wary of being legislatively squeezed by dissatisfied party members.