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Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Monday, May 16, 2022
Yamina member ousted from Knesset denies having intended to defect
Yomtob Kalfon speaks at a protest in Jerusalem, on July 17, 2021. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)
Yamina’s Yomtob Kalfon, who was ousted as a Knesset member by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, denies having intended to defect from the coalition amid concerns he could jump ship.
In a preview of an interview with Channel 12 news, Kalfon says he was surprised to learn fellow Yamina member Matan Kahana was resigning as a minister to return to the Knesset, forcing him to give up his spot.
“I was shocked when Bennett removed me from the Knesset. I didn’t defect or intend to do so,” he is quoted as saying.
