Smotrich briefly resigns as minister in order to push rival party member out of Knesset
Religious Zionism chief slated to reclaim post following maneuver to oust Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer, amid spat between factions that ran on joint list in last election
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. 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"
In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his resignation as a cabinet minister and his retaking of his seat as a member of Knesset for his far-right Religious Zionism party. The tactical move is set to see him swiftly reappointed to the role, with the Knesset scheduling a vote for Wednesday.
By reclaiming his status as an MK, Smotrich will push Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer out of the Knesset. When Amichai Eliyahu became heritage minister in 2023, Kroizer became an MK under the so-called Norwegian Law, which allows ministers and deputy ministers from large factions to resign from the Knesset, with their seats filled by other members of their parties. Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism ran on a joint slate in the 2022 national election.
In a statement, Religious Zionism said that Smotrich’s move to return to the Knesset comes in response to Otzma Yehudit chief and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s “violation of the agreements” the parties made when joining the coalition.
When Otzma Yehudit quit the coalition in January over the government’s approval of a ceasefire-hostage release deal, Eliyahu’s resignation from the cabinet forced the resignation of then-Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot, who held a lower spot on the two parties’ joint electoral list than Kroizer.
Speaking with The Times of Israel earlier this month, an Otzma Yehudit source said that following the party’s return to the government, neither Eliyahu nor Yitzhak Wasserlauf, who is the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister, would be able to resign from the Knesset under the Norwegian Law. Eliyahu had already resigned once and is barred from doing so again, and Wasserlauf represents a one-man faction within the party that brings in extra state funding.
This left only Ben Gvir as a possibility to resign his seat and pave the way for Kroizer’s return, something the party chief was not inclined to do. As such, the party was pressuring its rebel MK Almog Cohen to accept a deputy ministerial position in order to get him out of the Knesset, something he rejected outright.
Subsequently, the Kan public broadcaster reported that the coalition was considering adding Otzma Yehudit MK Zvika Fogel to the cabinet.
But with no movement on the issue, a Religious Zionism source this week called Otzma Yehudit’s conduct “incomprehensible.”
“It is a shame that they are not fulfilling their commitment to return MK Sukkot to the Knesset, even though, at Otzma Yehudit’s request, the coalition left MK Kroizer in the Knesset at the time of their party’s resignation,” the source said.
“Sukkot and Kroizer are excellent national parliamentarians. Ben Gvir’s refusal to fulfill his commitment and the removal of these two players from the coalition is uncalled for and unworthy,” the source added.
In a tweet, Sukkot called on Otzma Yehudit to allow him back into the legislature: “There is no reason in the world that during a time of war and cuts, they would appoint a new minister to the government just to bring me back to the Knesset,” Sukkot wrote.
“I expect my dear friends in Otzma Yehudit to uphold their agreements and commitments and find someone who will resign through the Norwegian Law so that we can continue working together.”
In a statement to the Ynet news site Monday evening, an Otzma Yehudit party source said that its relations with Religious Zionism were positive, and “we won’t enter unnecessary fights in the coalition. If it doesn’t work out, we don’t need Norwegian [Law] MKs,” the source said, referring to the entry of additional parliamentarians following the resignation of ministers. The source said that Kroizer would instead be appointed as director of the Otzma Yehudit faction.
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