Lawmakers approve new emergency cabinet, after Jewish and Arab MKs spar in plenum

The Knesset votes to approve adding five National Unity ministers to the government, with 66 voting for it and 4 voting against. The plenum also approves Shas MK Uriel Buso’s appointment as health minister, by a vote of 65 for and 0 against.

Speaking on behalf of Benny Gantz’s National Unity before the Knesset voted to add five members of the opposition party as ministers in the emergency government, party No. 2 Gideon Sa’ar says that “hard decisions always need wide backing, and that’s what we’re doing today.”

Taking an apparent jab at Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, which is currently sitting out the emergency government, Sa’ar says: “Yes, it’s easier to support from the outside. You’re not carrying the heavy burden.”

Labor MK Naama Lazimi, whose party remains in the opposition but has vowed backing for the addition of the new ministers, cries at the Knesset rostrum, recounting the Saturday slaughter of Israeli citizens by the Hamas terror group.

“They left an inferno, they don’t have homes to return to,” she says of survivors of the massacres in Israel’s southern communities.

MK Ayman Odeh who leads the predominantly Arab Hadash-Ta’al party, says: “There is nothing in the world that justifies hurting a civilian, an innocent person,” speaking from the Knesset rostrum.

“We need to take all the civilians, Jewish, Arab, Palestinian, out from the cycle of violence,” Odeh continues, appearing to also slam Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza. “Revenge is not the way.”

Likud MK Tally Gotliv interrupts his speech, screaming “revenge against Hamas!” and is quickly joined by other Likud and Otzma Yehudit lawmakers.

“Only peace brings security, brings rights,” Odeh shouts back.

“They burned children, how can you sleep!” yells Likud MK Keti Shitrit. “How can you compare this at all?”