Eisenkot's Yashar! asks Shas and UTJ to back replacing Knesset speaker Ohana

Yashar!, the party led by Gadi Eisenkot, has written to the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism asking them to back an effort to replace Ohana as speaker of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. N12 political correspondent Dafna Liel reported that the approach came from Roy Folkman, who chairs the Yashar! faction and is a Knesset member-designate, and that it concerns a request to change the speaker during the opening session of the 26th Knesset.

According to News.co.il, letters went to the heads of the Shas and United Torah Judaism factions stating that the collection of signatures ahead of submitting the formal request is already under way, and inviting both parties' lists to take part. Ynet and journalist Amit Segal also reported the approach, with Segal noting it was sent on the same day the reports appeared.

Who is making the request

Yashar! is the political party headed by Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. In the reports, the initiative is presented under the name of Roy Folkman, the head of the party's Knesset faction. N12 describes him as a member-designate, meaning he has been elected to the incoming Knesset but has not yet been sworn in. That status matters here: the request is aimed at the very session at which the new members take their seats.

What the speaker does

The speaker of the Knesset presides over the plenum, the full chamber, and controls much of its procedure, including the conduct of sittings and the scheduling of business on the floor. The post is filled by a vote of the members themselves, which is why a faction seeking a change needs support from other parties rather than acting alone. Ohana currently holds the position, and the reports frame Yashar!'s move as an attempt to replace him when the 26th Knesset convenes.

Why Shas and United Torah Judaism

Shas and United Torah Judaism are the two main Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, parties in Israeli politics. Shas draws its base largely from Sephardi and Mizrahi religious voters, whose families trace their roots to the Middle East and North Africa, while United Torah Judaism is an alliance representing Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox communities of European origin. Both have long been partners of Likud, the party to which Ohana belongs, in governing coalitions.

By writing directly to their faction heads, Yashar! is asking parties outside its own political camp to sign on to a procedural step in the opening session. The reports present this as an invitation only. None of them describes any reply from either party.

The opening session

The first sitting of a newly elected Knesset is when members are sworn in and when the chamber's leadership is settled. A request to change the speaker at that sitting has to be organised in advance, which is consistent with News.co.il's account of signatures being gathered before a formal request is lodged. The reports do not say when the opening session of the 26th Knesset is scheduled, and they do not describe the specific rule or procedure under which the request would be submitted.

How the reports compare

The four reports agree on the core facts: Yashar! approached Shas and United Torah Judaism, and the subject is replacing Ohana as speaker. Ynet's alert gives the bare headline. Amit Segal adds that the request relates to the Knesset's opening session and ties the party to Eisenkot. N12 and News.co.il both name Folkman as the sender and specify the 26th Knesset, and News.co.il alone describes the content of the letters, including the statement that signature collection is in progress. There is no disagreement between the accounts on any point they share.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports carries a response from Shas, United Torah Judaism, Ohana or Likud. They do not say how many signatures have been collected so far, how many are needed, or which other factions, if any, have already joined. They also do not name a candidate whom Yashar! would put forward to replace Ohana, and they do not give the date of the opening session at which the request would be considered.