Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich resigned on Monday from his posts as finance minister and minister in the Defense Ministry, citing "a breach of agreements" between his party, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit Party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Smotrich’s resignation is considered a procedural step, as he intends to return to serve as a Knesset member and has formally requested reappointment to his ministerial roles once his parliamentary status is restored.
This maneuver is facilitated by the so-called "Norwegian Law" which allows ministers or deputy ministers to resign from the Knesset to focus on their executive duties, enabling the next candidate on their party's list to enter parliament. If the minister later leaves the Cabinet, they can reclaim their Knesset seat, and the substitute member steps down.
Following Smotrich’s resignation, MK Yitzhak Kroizer of Otzma Yehudit will leave the Knesset, making room for Smotrich’s return to parliamentary service. The shuffle has reignited tensions between the two far-right coalition partners over earlier commitments concerning MK Zvi Succot from Smotrich's party.
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Succot had entered the Knesset after Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) resigned his parliamentary seat to focus solely on his ministerial role. However, when Otzma Yehudit rejoined the coalition earlier in March, Eliyahu returned to the Knesset, forcing Succot out. Under the Norwegian Law, Eliyahu cannot resign from the Knesset a second time to allow Succot’s return, leaving the responsibility to one of Otzma Yehudit’s two other ministers — Ben-Gvir or Negev and Galilee Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf. Ben-Gvir has refused to vacate his seat and is reportedly leveraging the situation for political gain.
A source from Smotrich’s party criticized Otzma Yehudit, saying, “Their conduct is baffling. It’s unfortunate they failed to honor their commitment to return MK Tzvi Succot to the Knesset, especially since, at their request, the coalition allowed MK Kroizer to remain in place during their party’s resignation. Itamar Ben-Gvir’s refusal to fulfill this commitment, and the removal of these two players from the coalition, is unnecessary and inappropriate.”