Giden Sa’ar resigns from Knesset under Norwegian Law, Akram Hasson to take his place

By Sam Sokol 8 July 2025, 3:39 pm

Edit

Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addresses a joint press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart at the Foreign Ministry in Vilnius on July 1, 2025. (Petras Malukas / AFP)

Foreign minister and New Hope party chairman Gideon Sa’ar presents Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana with his parliamentary resignation, opening up his seat under the so-called Norwegian Law to Druze politician Akram Hasson.

The Norwegian Law allows ministers and deputy ministers from large factions to resign from the Knesset, with their seats then filled by other members of their parties.

Hassan served as mayor of Carmel City, an amalgamation of Daliyat el-Carmel and neighboring Isfiya that lasted from 2005 to 2008. He became a lawmaker for the now-defunct Kadima party in 2012 and in 2015 became its final leader, before joining Kulanu. He later ran unsuccessfully on Benny Gantz’s National Unity list.