Copyright ynetnews
A ministerial committee in Israel is set to debate a controversial bill on Sunday that could hinder former prime minister Naftali Bennett from launching a new political campaign, as the country moves toward elections expected in 2026. The proposal, introduced by Likud MK Avichai Boaron, stipulates that any new political party led by a former party head must first use its fundraising proceeds to repay debts left by their previous party—provided the former party was found to have engaged in financial mismanagement by the State Comptroller. The measure would apply to any political figure who led another party within the past seven years. While the bill is being discussed by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, it must still pass a preliminary reading and three additional votes in the Knesset. The coalition currently lacks a parliamentary majority, leaving the proposal’s chances uncertain. Boaron’s proposal appears aimed at Bennett, whose previous parties—the Jewish Home and Yamina—have accumulated substantial debts. According to a February 2024 report by the State Comptroller, the Jewish Home owes approximately 3 million shekels, while Yamina’s debt stands at roughly 17 million shekels. These debts relate to party financing laws, under which parties that fail to enter the Knesset must repay public campaign funding. Bennett, who left politics in 2022 after briefly serving as prime minister, responded harshly to the bill, calling it a personal and anti-democratic attack. “Only a failing government obsessed with political survival would be afraid to run against me,” Bennett said. “This unconstitutional bill is a targeted attempt to stop me—and to block the country from healing and moving forward. It won’t work. We will win, unite the people and restore Israel.” Boaron defended the bill, insisting that it reflects principles of accountability. “Naftali, first pay your debts to the public,” he said. “There’s no reason a person who owes 17 million shekels to the state and suppliers should be allowed to run another multimillion-shekel campaign at public expense. Pay your debts—then run. Don’t pay—don’t run.” In an interview with Ynet, Boaron added: “We have no problem with Bennett running. People say the Likud also has debts—and that’s true. So do other parties in the coalition. But they’re all paying them back. They don’t walk away and ignore them. Bennett should settle his debts first. I don’t oppose his candidacy—but he should act like a responsible person.” Boaron also dismissed Bennett’s claims as political spin, saying: “Don’t feed us nonsense.” In its explanatory notes, the bill states that in recent years, parties that fail to return to the Knesset often leave behind significant debts due to poor financial management. It cites examples where party leaders moved to form new political factions without addressing the debts of their previous parties. The proposal is intended to prevent such “lost debt” by making repayment a prerequisite for political reentry. If the bill passes in the ministerial committee, it will move to a preliminary vote in the Knesset plenum, followed by committee deliberations and readings. While the coalition is expected to support the proposal ahead of the next elections, internal political tensions—including a boycott by ultra-Orthodox parties—have stalled coalition-sponsored bills in recent months. According to end-of-2023 figures, several coalition parties also carry significant debt. Likud reported more than 56 million shekels in outstanding loans, United Torah Judaism parties (Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael) each owe close to 7 million shekels, Shas has a debt of approximately 6.5 million shekels and the Jewish National Front—formerly the base for Otzma Yehudit—owes around 2.5 million shekels.
