The Jewish Home party is asking to add a clause to the coalition agreement with the Likud that would allow Ayelet Shaked to resign from the Knesset after she is appointed a government minister.
Such a move would allow Shuli Muallem, who is next on the Jewish Home’s list, to enter the Knesset and continue serving as an MK.
The clause would be modeled after the “Norwegian Law”, which removes new ministers from the legislature and allows lower-ranking members of their parties to take their seats in the Knesset.
The nickname “Norwegian Law” lies in the fact that the Norwegian parliament was the first to prohibit by law that a lawmaker serve as both minister and member of parliament. It remains unclear whether Shaked’s request will be approved by the Likud during the coalition negotiations.
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman and Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett have both proposed making the “Norwegian Law” into an official Israeli law, which would make relinquishing one’s status as MK upon appointment to the government mandatory.
Under the agreement that is being formulated between the Likud and Jewish Home, Shaked would be appointed Culture and Sport Minister.
The sides continue to discuss an agreement, but there are still some issues which remain unresolved.