Norwegian Law (Israel)
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The Norwegian Law (Hebrew: החוק הנורווגי, HaḤok HaNorvegi), or Mini-Norwegian Law (Hebrew: החוק הנורווגי הקטן), is a name given to an amendment to the Basic Law: The Knesset, one of the Basic Laws of Israel. It affects the appointment of ministers and members of the Knesset. The amendment allows ministers or deputy ministers to resign from the Knesset but remain a minister, with their Knesset seat taken by the next person on the party's list. If the person who resigned leaves the cabinet, they are able to return to the Knesset in place of their replacement.[1] The law limits each party to one resignation and replacement.[1] The legislation became commonly known as the 'Norwegian Law' due to a similar system being in place in Norway.[2]
The amendment was approved by the Knesset by a vote of 64–51 on 30 July 2015.[2]
List of changes
Since the introduction of the amendment, the following ministers have resigned to allow party colleagues to enter the Knesset:
| Knesset member | Ministerial position | Party | Date | Replacement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naftali Bennett[3] | Minister of Education | The Jewish Home | 9 October 2015 | Shuli Mualem | Bennett later returned to the Knesset as a replacement for Avi Wortzman |
| Meshulam Nahari[1] | Deputy Minister of the Interior | Shas | 24 January 2016 | Yigal Guetta | |
| Moshe Kahlon[4] | Minister of Finance | Kulanu | 29 January 2016 | Akram Hasson | |
| Avigdor Lieberman | Minister of Defense | Yisrael Beitenu | 30 May 2016 | Yulia Malinovsky |
References
- ^ a b c New Shas MK Yigal Guetta sworn in The Jerusalem Post, 26 January 2016
- ^ a b Knesset passes controversial 'Norwegian Law' The Jerusalem Post, 30 July 2015
- ^ Bennett Resigns as MK in Accordance With 'Norwegian' Law Haaretz, 9 October 2015
- ^ Kahlon resigns from Knesset, to be replaced by Hasson The Jerusalem Post, 27 January 2016