Two new MKs sworn in at Knesset to replace Matan Kahana, Gideon Sa’ar

By Sam Sokol 14 July 2025, 6:32 pm

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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"

Returning MKs Yael Ron Ben-Moshe and Akram Hasson are sworn in as lawmakers in the Knesset plenum.

Ben-Moshe replaces Blue and White-National Unity MK Matan Kahana, who submitted his letter of resignation to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana last week. She was previously an MK for Blue and White between 2020 and 2022 and served as the chairwoman of the Knesset Special Committee for Public Inquiries.

Druze politician Akram Hasson replaces New Hope party chairman Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who also resigned from the Knesset last week, opening up his seat under the so-called Norwegian Law.

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 the also-now-defunct Kulanu. He later ran unsuccessfully on Benny Gantz’s National Unity list.

A large contingent from Israel’s Druze community watches his inauguration from the Knesset visitors’ gallery.