Ohana resigns as Knesset member utilizing Norwegian Law
Ohana has come under heavy criticism of late for seeking to block anti-government protests outside the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem.
By JEREMY SHARONFormer public security minister Amir Ohana (left), pictured next to Likud MK Amit Halevy(photo credit: POLICY COLLEGE)
Public Security Minister Amir Ohana has resigned from the Knesset to be replaced by a new Likud MK, as allowed under the Norwegian Law.By relinquishing his duties as an MK, his replacement will be able to devote the necessary time to parliamentary activities, such as committee work, debates and legislation, he said.Ministers cannot sit on committees, which increases the burden on other MKs, Ohana said.“Government ministries, too, especially large and influential ones such as Public Security, need a full-time minister – all the more so during times such as now, when the government is trying to halt the spread of coronavirus, currently at its peak,” he said.Ohana praised his replacement, incoming Likud MK Amit Halevy, founder of the Policy College and former chief of staff for Miri Regev during her tenure as culture minister.“I have no doubt that he will be a significant and quality addition to the Likud faction and for the Knesset,” he said.“I will continue in my full-time role as public security minister and will work to ensure that all the agencies in my ministry, most importantly the police, will be the driving force in the protection not only of the peace and security of the public, but also of its freedom and rights,” he added.Ohana has come under heavy criticism for seeking to block anti-government protests outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem and for allegedly urging the police to use a heavier hand in dealing with the protesters.On Monday, President Reuven Rivlin implicitly criticized Ohana when he said the right to protest was a sacrosanct value of Israeli democracy. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Ohana for trying to stop the protests.
