Netanyahu seeks to lower threshold votes for Knesset entry — report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to lower the electoral threshold a party needs to gain entry to Knesset, in a move apparently aimed at saving hundreds of thousands of right-wing votes, but news of the development angered coalition partners in the Shas party, Channel 2 reports.

The report, which does not cite a source, says Netanyahu wants to return the threshold back to two percent of the vote, the level it was at before the government in 2014 — under Netanyahu — raised it to 3.25%.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who leads the Shas party, responded angrily to the news, vowing that the hurdle will remain as it is, and saying he had already informed coalition secretary MK David Bitan of the Likud party of his objections.

“Netanyahu stabbed us with this broadcast,” he told Channel 2. “Shas will become stronger in the coming elections and it doesn’t need any favors from Netanyahu. Netanyahu had the support of Shas, and in response he initiates a move against Shas and without consulting with it. Already this evening, I have notified David Bitan and am notifying Netanyahu: Lowering the threshold level will not pass and don’t even try it.”

Lowering the level give smaller parties a better shot at winning Knesset seats, and for Deri, that could spell trouble in the form of rival Eli Yishai, a former top Shas politician, who broke away from the party after losing a bitter leadership battle with Deri. Yishai formed the Yachad party in December 2014 ahead of the 2015 national elections, but failed to beat the raised threshold, winning 2.97% of the vote.