Coalition Chairwoman and Yamina MK Idit Silman has confirmed she will resign from the coalition over a dispute with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz on the entry of leavened bread and goods known as chametz into hospitals during the Passover holiday.

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Silman has called for the establishment of a right-wing government.

In a statement Wednesday morning, Silman said, "Unfortunately, I cannot anymore. I have tried unity. As someone who comes from the world of common good, I worked very hard for the current coalition. Regrettably, I cannot lend a hand to the blow to the State of Israel's and Jewish people's Jewish identity.

"You do not know everything because I tried [to effect change] quietly. I can no longer continue on this path due to the values and the place I come from. I am halting my membership in the coalition and will continue to try and convince my friends to come home and establish a right-wing government. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. The State of Israel's Jewish identity is our right to exist here. It is our heart. It is our essence. Damage, without any consideration for the public and the values I represent, is a red line to me. Another government can be established in this Knesset."

According to Israeli media reports, following her resignation, Silman is reportedly set to join the Likud party and take on the role of health minister in a potential future coalition government.

Silman's announcement took coalition members by surprise as she had not spoken of her plans to anyone in the government, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett or Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid.

The Knesset is now in recess and will return in another five weeks.

Coalition members asserted Silman's resignation would not topple the government. They said that "in a 60-60 situation, we will hang on until the end of March [20]23. If there's another resignation, that'll be another story."

Yisrael Beytenu MK Eli Avidar tweeted that he had warned of the threat posed by the Yamina party for months. "We rolled out a red carpet for them, we walk on eggshells with them, avoid advancing laws we promised our voters to advance, and then the 'change' camp gets spit in the face."

Meretz MK Moshe Raz called for the Joint Arab List to join the coalition. He said such a move was necessary to contend with the "threat" posed to the state b Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism Party head Bezalel Smotrich and his fellow party member Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Responding to the news, Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Silman "back home to the nationalist camp."

Likud officials said Silman's resignation was the result of their party's efforts in recent days. They said they preferred for Israel to hold another round of elections over a vote of no confidence that would see the appointment of a prime minister-designate. They said the next lawmaker to resign from the coalition and topple the government would be guaranteed a spot in the Likud party Knesset list.

Earlier this week, Silman lashed out at Horowitz upon learning he had demanded hospital directors uphold a High Court of Justice ruling permitting the entry of chametz into hospitals over Passover.

After the coalition chairwoman said they would not be able to allow Horowitz to be a minister if chametz was allowed in hospitals, her husband, Shmulik Silman, told Israel Radio that right-wing lawmakers should apologize for lying to their voters. "I expect the health minister to respect the public and the coalition he is in and the places where there is a veto on issues of religion and state – and to take the sensitivities of the traditional public into consideration."

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Elected officials from across the political spectrum denounced the deadly ISIS terrorist attack that struck the heart of the central city of Hadera on Sunday night, leaving Border Police officers Yezen Falah and Shirel Abukarat dead and four other officers wounded.

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"Two ISIS terrorist attacks in Israel require security forces to quickly adapt to this new threat and we will. I urge the public to maintain vigilance. Together, we will defeat this threat," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement posted on social media.

"Our heart breaks over the death of Border Police officers Yezen Falah and Shirel Abukarat, who gave their lives defending civilians from heinous murderers. We will never forget their bravery. I send their families my deepest condolences and wish the wounded a speedy recovery."

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the terrorist attack was "an attempt by extremists to unravel our fabric of life. Israel will fight terrorism with determination and we will stand steadfast with our allies against anyone who tries to harm us," he continued, also sending condolences to the officers' families.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, "The IDF and all other security forces are on alert with all of the measures necessary to restore calm and ensure the public security on all fronts. We will act aggressively against terrorism and terrorists, and we will advance the continued reinforcement of troops in the field."

Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted, "A terrible terrorist attack tonight [Sunday]. I send my condolences to the victims' families and pray for the wounded's recovery. Terrorism is rearing its head and a firm hand is needed to restore public security."

Labor leader Merav Michaeli tweeted, "This is a difficult painful night. We will continue to fight terrorism with determination. The start contrast between this horrific event and the Negev summit reminds us again that peace and normalcy are not without their enemies. We cannot let them win."

Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich tweeted, "If this reminds you of the early days of Oslo in the 1990s you're not wrong. We get photos of smiling leaders, detached from reality, in [peace] summits, alongside images of the 'victims of peace' in Israeli cities," he wrote, juxtaposing the Negev summit that convened Sunday with the early days of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, said, "Jewish blood is not expendable! One terrorist attack after another and the heart can no longer take the sorrow and destruction.

"We have warned time and again that a government that is dependent on an Islamist party will end up undermining national security and this is what's happening," he said, alluding to coalition partner Ra'am.

Likud MK Nir Barkat called the attack "horrific" and urged Israeli who are licensed to carry personal firearms "to engage and eliminate any terrorist. The police cannot fact all these treats by themselves so civilians must shoulder the burden of defense."

Shas MK Yoav Ben-Zur said, "One terrorist attack after another – Israel is in the midst of a terrible intifada. I support security forces who are fighting this murderous terrorism, send my condolences to the victims' families and pray for the wounded's recovery."

Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas said he "denounces the heinous crime in Hadera. This is an appalling act of ISIS terror that does not represent Arab society in Israel. We seek to live under the rule of law and support values that sanctify human life, Jewish and Arab coexistence, peace, and tolerance."

Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh also condemned the attack, calling it "a shocking crime. There isn't and cannot be any justification for harming civilians. Such acts have nothing to do with the political struggle the Arab public is waging for its rights. This is not our way, nor will it ever be.

"The Arab public wants nothing to do with ISIS and its radical doctrine, which it has denounced for years. We believe in a nonviolent struggle. In this difficult time, we urge the public, Arabs and Jews alike, to act responsibly."

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Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office issued instructions to ministers on how to discuss the terrorist attack in the media.

Alongside stressing the Border Police officers' courage under fire and their sacrifice in protecting civilians at the scene, ministers were told to underscore Israel's war on terror and the fact that "security forces will hunt down anyone trying to undermine Israel's security."

Another key point in the Prime Minister's Office's instructions was that the lawmakers should refrain from pointing a finger at the Palestinian Authority or Hamas.

A source privy to the full instruction said that most likely, this seeks to avoid aggravating tensions vis-à-vis Hamas, which could escalate into a wider conflict.

Ministers were also told not to link the terrorist attack to any gestures afforded to the Palestinians over the holy month of Ramada.

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Cabinet ministers and MKs in Israel were unhappy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's appeal to Israel on Sunday for aid following Russia's invasion of his country on Feb. 24. Zelenskyy spoke critically of Israel's policy on the war.

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"Just like you were wandering around the world, looking for safety, our people are now wandering the world. This is an unjust war, with Russian trying to destroy anything that makes Ukrainians who they are," Zelenskyy said. "Our history and your history are histories of survival," he continued. "Listen to what the Kremlin is saying, they're using the same terminology of the Nazi party. What they sought to destroy all of Europe, they didn't want to leave any of you, and now from of us. They called it the 'Final Solution.'"

After Zelenskyy's speech, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tweeted: "I again condemn the assault of Ukraine and thank President Zelenskyy for sharing his feelings and the Ukrainian people's distress with MKs and the government. We will continue to assist the Ukrainian people as much as we can and we will never turn our backs to the plight of people who know the horrors of war."

Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel took a more aggressive line, saying, "I appreciate the president of Ukraine and support the Ukrainian people in my heart and through actions, but the terrible history of the Holocaust cannot be rewritten. A genocide was carried out on Ukrainian soil, as well. The war is terrible, but comparing it to the horrors of the Holocaust and the 'final solution' is outrageous."

MK Yuval Steinitz also criticized the speech. "They say you can't kick someone while they're down, but if the speech Zelenskyy – Ukraine's Jewish president – gave had been made in normal times, [people[ would say it bordered on Holocaust denial. War is always a terrible thing, and shelling and occupation of territory are something unbearably difficult for the Ukrainian people, but any comparison between a regular war, as hard as it might be, and the annihilation of millions of Jews in gas chambers as part of the 'final solution' is a complete perversion of history."

Steinitz also took issue with the claim that the Ukrainian people had helped Jews during World War II. "While it is true that there were thousands [of Ukrainians] who helped rescue Jews and were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, the sad historical truth is that many more were excited to help the Nazis' project of rounding up and murdering Jews, and stealing their property.

"The historical truth is that the Ukrainian people cannot be proud of its conduct toward Jews and the Holocaust. None of this changes the fact that despite the infuriating use of the Holocaust [in Zelenskyy's speech], we must keep providing humanitarian help to the citizens of Ukraine who are suffering from the war, and pray that it ends quickly," Steinitz said.

MK Efrat Rayten (Labor) tweeted that the broadcast of Zelenskyy's speech had been a "complicated" event, "not only because of Zoom issues, but also because of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's sharp words. Despite the difficulty, we must not forget that the president represents a country and millions of citizens who are fighting for their lives."

MK Michal Waldiger (Religious Zionist Party), tweeted: "Comparisons between what is happening in Ukraine now and what happened in the Holocaust are out of place. We understand and empathize with what is taking place in Ukraine – the comparison is infuriating, inappropriate, and downplays that horrors that took place in the Holocaust."

Waldiger's fellow party member MK Simcha Rotman tweeted: "I don't understand Ukrainian, but if the translation I heard was accurate, Zelenskyy asked us to treat the Ukrainians like they treated us 80 years ago. I'm sorry, I think we'll have to turn him down. We are a moral people, a light unto nations."

MK Eli Avidar (Yisrael Beytenu) said on Twitter: "President Zelenskyy's words were moving. Apathy does indeed kill. Mediation attempts are important, but cannot come at the expense of principles. We need to be on the side of good against evil. Our policy right now will not benefit us in the long term."

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to the Knesset over Zoom will also be broadcast at Habima plaza in Tel Aviv.

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Israeli and Ukrainian officials confirmed last week that Ukraine's leader will address the Knesset and government ministers on Sunday, March 20, at 6 p.m. local time.

The decision to show the speech at the plaza came after officials of the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel asked the Tel Aviv municipality to organize an event that would reach the broader Israeli public.

Previously, Israeli supporters of Ukraine sent a letter to Zelenskyy through the Ukrainian Embassy asking him to address the Israeli public.

Last week, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said he had offered to broadcast Zelenskyy's address over video link at Habima plaza – in the heart of the coastal city – "so that the Israeli public can hear the president live."

Huldai made the offer after Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy turned down Ukraine's request to have Zelenskyy address the Knesset members in the plenum.

The Knesset is in recess and is undergoing renovations but MKs without access to Zoom will be able to attend a joint viewing of the address from a specially designated room in the Knesset. All MKs and ministers "attending" the event will be required to watch in "silent mode."

"It will be an honor for me and the Knesset to host President Zelenskyy to speak before members of the Knesset during this difficult time for the Ukrainian people," Levy said.

Israel's parliament will be one of many across the world that Zelenskyy will have addressed.

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On Wednesday, he spoke virtually to members of the US Congress, again urging US lawmakers to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

In response to Zelenskyy's planned speech to the Knesset, Russia's Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov requested an "urgent meeting" with Levy, Walla News reported.

The report claimed that Israel was reportedly readying itself for the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin will also request to address Israeli lawmakers.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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The Knesset passed a controversial citizenship law to replace a temporary order regulating the status and residency of Palestinian spouses of Arab Israelis in a tense session Thursday night.

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The legislation, which prevents Palestinians from acquiring Israeli citizenship through family reunification, has been a contentious issue for coalition members. Both the Meretz and Ra'am parties oppose the law, which garnered the support of 45 lawmakers. Fifteen Knesset members voted against the bill in the third and final Knesset reading.

Commenting on the passage of the law, Shaked, who introduced the law, said, "As I promised, the citizenship law was passed this evening at the Knesset …. . This is a Zionist, nationalist security law of the highest order, which could not be neglected purely for petty politics. The combination of coalition and opposition forces led to an important result for state security and the fortification [of Israel] as a Jewish state. I thank all the Knesset members who acted responsibly and voted in favor of the law."

The Meretz party, which belongs to the coalition, voiced significant opposition to the bill in an effort to prevent a vote. A majority of these complaints were rejected.

The leader of the Islamist Ra'am party Mansour Abbas said in a statement, "When Ra'am wants to decide whether to topple the government of buy time and try to invest further effort and change policies, to bring about decisions and laws and a new policy for the benefit of Arab society, we will decide based on a general consideration beyond one point. There is no doubt this law is one that deserves to topple governments."

In a statement, the Meretz party said, "Following an uncompromising struggle that the Meretz party waged against the citizenship law since the establishment of the government, and even more so over the last week, the law passed with opposition support despite the Meretz faction's vote against it. The citizenship law is a temporary provision that is extended from time to time. Immediately after the law was passed, the Meretz faction submitted a bill ordering it rescinded."

Religious Zionism Party MK Simcha Rothman hailed the law's passage, saying, "Israel's defensive shield will be bolstered significantly today, bolstered in such a way that would never have happened if on that night, seven months ago, we would have given up or relinquished our demand for quotas and transparency as a condition for support for the extension of the temporary order. The State of Israel is a Jewish state, and so it shall remain."

In a statement, the Religious Zionism Party said, "Following the criticism voiced against the right-wing parties for throwing out the law half a year ago, this evening, it was made clear that the right-wing parties made the right and Zionist decision that prevented a law that would have exacerbated the situation and succeeded in passing a much better law that bolsters the State of Israel's Zionist and Jewish identity."

Religious Zionism Party leader Bezalel Smotrich said, "Today, we took an important step and we bolstered the State of Israel as a Jewish state through the updated citizenship law. With professionalism and determination, we introduced the target clause and passed the transparency and quota clauses that will prevent the loophole in the law that allows for the family reunification of thousands of Palestinians and brings them in through the back door thanks to a crawling return to the State of Israel."

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid) admitted: "I am not at ease with the law and its passage, but we face a complex security reality in a complicated region, and with such a reality, we must live and sometimes make unpleasant decisions as is happening now."

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The opposition on Wednesday was able to defeat a bill seeking to curtail the Chief Rabbinate's powers with respect to the way the chief rabbis are selected.

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The Knesset voted on the legislative proposal ended with a 51-51 tie meaning the bill failed to pass.

The bill, sponsored by Yesh Atid MK Moseh Tur-Paz in coordination with Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana, was introduced as part of the latter's plan to moderate the ultra-Orthodox establishment's control on every single aspect of religious life in Israel.

Among the issues Kahana seeks to reform are the kashrut apparatus and the conversions system, both of which are currently firmly in the grip of the Chief Rabbinate. The Haredi establishment's backlash has been ferocious – to the point where the Israel Security Agency assigned Kahana a security detail following threats to his life.

Tur-Paz presented his bill last week, focusing in changing the composition of the panel that names Israel's chief rabbis, as the terms of both Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau will elapse next year.

The proposal seeks to curb the Chief Rabbinate's power over the panel while increasing that of forces that are more liberal.

Under Israeli law, the assembly that names the chief rabbis includes 150 members, 80 of whom are rabbis and of them, 10 are named by the presiding chief rabbis.

Tur-Paz's bill suggests that the number of members of the assembly will be reduced to 120, and that the chief rabbis be allowed to name only 50 representatives.

Ten members will be elected by the Religious Services Ministry, and the minister will also name six kibbutz rabbis, who are considered more liberal, to the panel; while the heads of 18 religious councils be removed from the assembly.

Tur-Paz further suggests limiting the Chief Rabbinate's power over the process by naming eight lawmakers – not five – to the panel, as well as four ministers: religious services, diaspora affairs, aliyah and absorption, and a fourth to be elected by the government.

Other delegates the bill proposes should take part in the process include the chairman and deputy chair of the Student Union, the head of the Histadrut labor federation, 10 public figures from the fields of education, culture, and philosophy, three representatives of women's organizations, and three representatives of the Committee of University Heads.

Tur-Paz would also like to include the mayors of Israel's 25 largest cities in the panel, as well as the heads of the six largest local council in the country.

The bill underscores the need for female representation in the assembly, and many of its articles include mandatory inclusion of women among the public figures named to it.

Instating such a change to the otherwise rigid process, would reflect the majority of voices and opinions in the Israeli public," he told Israel Hayom.

As the bill failed its preliminary reading it is unclear at this time whether it will be shelved or revised.

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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu butted heads at a meeting on issues plaguing the Negev Region at the Knesset plenum, Monday.

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"I was asked to comment on the issue of crime in the Negev," Bennett said in his opening remarks to the Knesset. "For many years, there was comprehensive and systematic neglect of Arab crime in general and crime in the Negev in particular. This neglect led to a situation of total abandon, the loss of personal security of citizens of the state, and a real sense of lawlessness.

"From the moment the [current] government was established, we led substantial change in national and governmental prioritization of this issue. Over the last year, there have been over 1,400 activities and operations, and we are beginning to see results on the ground. There is a significant increase of dozens of percentage points in the seizure of firearms compared to last year. 2021 was a record year for weapons seizures, indictments, and arrests. From the beginning of 2022, we have seen a decrease of tens of percentage points in shooting incidents in Arab society."

Bennett emphasized the uncompromising effort to rein in crime families.

"Senior Hariri family members, for example, were arrested and an indictment was filed against them. Others fled overseas, and the rest are being handled intensively. The neglect will not continue on our watch. On our watch, we've acted and we will continue to act."

Netanyahu, who took the podium after the premier, retorted that "the Bedouin settlement problem is also connected to the governance problem. Naftali Bennett's party [Yamina] was entrusted with it."

Netanyahu went on to attack the Israeli leadership's conduct in regard to the conflict in Europe.

"These are sensitive days in the global arena, and in times like these, it is better to refrain from statements on the global issue at hand, certainly when it comes to unnecessary remarks," Netanyahu said.

Russia was quick to respond to Israel's statement of support for Ukraine last week, and on Wednesday, the Russian UN delegation issued a statement condemning Israel's plans for construction in the Golan Heights.

The Russian statement expressed "concern" about plans by "Tel Aviv" to expand "settlement activity in the Golan Heights," which the Russian delegation said violated the Geneva Convention of 1949.

Jerusalem has a vital interest in maintaining good ties with Moscow given its control of Syria's air space and the Israeli Air Force's de facto freedom of operations to strike Iranian targets in the Middle Eastern country.

Netanyahu said, "There will be much that remains to be said on the subject. Now is not the time. The absurdity of it is that the Israeli government is choosing to talk and about this of all things. But on another issue that really should be talked about, that something really must be done about, it is silent and does nothing. The forthcoming nuclear agreement – I don't know whether in the coming days or coming weeks – and what do Bennett and [Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair] Lapid do? They don't say anything, and they don't do anything. They don't enlist international opinion, [the US] Congress and the Senate against this bad deal. They bow their head to the US."

He continued: "A few months ago, Bennett said, "We won't oppose every agreement. We aren't looking for a fight.' A month ago, Foreign Minister Lapid said, 'We succeeded in making the world listen to us to a certain extent.' Another success like that, and we're completely lost. This 'success' led to the US removing sanctions on Iran."

"It's absurd that the Israeli government is completely silent on this issue. Well, I'm sure you see this government's expertise on the international front. Lapid said just two weeks ago, 'There won't be an invasion of Ukraine.' Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, 'Aliens will invade Ukraine before Russian soldiers so.' Bennett's and Lapid's silence in the face of the existential threat of a nuclear Iran is no less stunning."

Netanyahu concluded his remarks by saying, "Today, we all see what happens to a country when it is at the mercy of others. Everyone also understands today, now more than ever, what international guarantees or international agreements are worth. Without force and without a willingness to use force, they are meaningless."

"The State of Israel must continue on the steady path we walked and not on the path of obedience and groveling this government has taken. If the government would fight Iran, it would have our backup and support, as I did with [late Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon and [former Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert.

"Israel has the ability to prevent Iran from [acquiring] nuclear weapons. Israel must adamantly oppose the dangerous nuclear agreement and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons at any price. This is the most important issue the government should be concerned with at this time before this bad agreement is signed. There is no government in Israel at this time."

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The government on Wednesday voted in favor of rolling the national state of emergency instated following the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic and replacing it with a provisional designation of "special national public health situation," which will be in effect until June.

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The move was proposed by Chairman of the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee MK Gilad Kariv (Labor).

The state of emergency was called shortly before Israel imposed its first lockdown in March 2020. The designation, usually reserved for wartime allowed authorities to place limitations on public gatherings and personal freedom of movement while affording additional enforcement authority to the IDF Home Front Command and municipalizes, as well as appropriating special budgets to the Health Ministry.

It also allowed the government to take special measures, some highly controversial, like involving the Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet – in tracing the phones of infected patients during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

"Ending the state of emergency is an important message for the public and for Israeli democracy," Kariv said, adding the Constitution Committee is slated to debate the bill next week.

"The distinction between a 'state of emergency and a special 'public health situation' has been the focus of the Constitution Committee's discussions. The transition between the two situations will restore parliamentary oversight of government work, and return Israeli democracy to the required course of action.

"The government will retain its ability to rapidly respond to any new development or threat but the instruments at its disposal will be more proportionate to morbidity rates."

The move to a "special national public health situation" will also prevent the government from imposing another lockdown – or any major restrictions on public movement – without Knesset's approval.

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Defense Minister Benny Gantz's threat to topple the coalition unless his bill to raise salaries for career soldiers is approved by the Knesset has put the government in crisis mode. Transportation Minister Meirav Michaeli's opposition to Gantz's demand pensions be raised for Israeli career soldiers has angered close associates of the Blue and White party leader.

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"If there is someone who will break up this government, it is Michaeli and the Labor party. She will bring Netanyahu back to power. Most parties understood that Gantz's defense bills are important and tempered their opposition over the course of the day. It is only the Labor party that continues to be obstinate. It's unclear how she fails to control her party."

In a statement, the Labor party said: "As always, the Labor party will act once again responsibly and ethically. Gantz's 'hold me back or I'll go back to Netanyahu' method is inappropriate and disrespectful of the coalition partnership. Social sensitivity and solidarity are necessary for the good of the weaker sectors and the existence of this important government is necessary at this time."

In a message to Gantz Tuesday, Labor MK Efrat Reytan tweeted: "Yesterday, we were supposed to approve two important bills for the weakest populations – the expansion of unemployment [payments] for those embarking on training and double allowances. Every day you prevent the passage of these laws, citizens are harmed."

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid, however, were not impressed by Gantz's ultimatum. As one coalition member told Israel Hayom: "He won't break up the government."

Blue and White MK Eitan Ginzberg explained: "We want this government to exist," but we can't have a situation where there is always a reason for the Knesset not to pass the defense minister's legislation.

"We are upholding our commitment and always voting with the coalition, even on things we don't like. Without coalition discipline, the government will dissolve," he said.

Meretz MK Michal Rozin, who opposes Gantz's plan, said: "The government cannot conduct itself according to 'majority rules.' There are things in Meretz that Yamina and Ra'am won't be able to live with, like, for example, the LGBTQ+ issue and issues concerning religion and state. When there is discussion, understandings can be reached."

Yisrael Beytenu's Eli Avidar, meanwhile, resigned from his role as minister without portfolio Tuesday, saying he did not enter politics to hold an irrelevant position.

Avidar blasted the premier, saying: "Bennett came to make bank. He doesn't want to realize the rotation [deal with Lapid]. He is not committed to it. He does what [his fellow Yamina party member and Interior Minister] Ayelet Shaked dictates. The economic collapse is registered in the names of lawmakers who harmed the self-employed in Israel. I thought we would pass the anti-Netanyahu legislation, but they haven't yet passed because there are lawmakers who still want to keep Netanyahu relevant."

Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar said he regretted Avidar's resignation.

"Eli Avidar did a lot to establish a change government in Israel, and I am convinced that despite him being more independent in the Knesset [as a lawmaker], he won't harm government stability."

Religious Zionism Party MK Michal Woldiger tweeted: "Eli Avidar resigned and concluded – "Desperation is not a work plan.' In his remarks, he summarized the essence of the 'change government.'"

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One of the most curious mysteries in Israel was solved on Sunday when the identity of the artist who created the small bronze menorah that stands on the Knesset grounds was finally revealed.

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The Knesset Menorah has been one of the most recognized and revered state symbols in Israel's history, and parliament is home to more than one menorah statue. Most famously, a seven-branched menorah stands just outside the Knesset plaza. It towers 4.30 meters high, 3.5 meters wide (14 feet by 11.5 feet), and weighs 4 tons.

While it is known that the great menorah was designed by Benno Elkan (1877–1960), and modeled after the golden candelabrum that stood in the Temple in Jerusalem, the identity of the man who created the statue that borders the Knesset's Rose Garden has always been a mystery.

Until now.

The Knesset Press Office said Sunday that, following a lead provided by an old newspaper clipping reporting on the arrival of a sculpture from Argentina to Haifa, curators of the future Knesset Museum have been able to name the man behind the menorah as Argentine artist David Sevi.

Dr. Moshe Foxman Shaal, director of the Knesset Museum, told Israel Hayom that following then Knesset Speaker Yosef Sprinzak's visit to Argentian in the 1950s, B'nai B'rith Argentina, one of the major organizations of the country's Jewish community at the time, decided to raise funds to create a statue in the likening of the ancient Temple menorah, with the aim of gifting it to the Israeli parliament. Sevi, a member of the B'nai B'rith "Argentina" lodge, was commissioned to create the menorah.

The community rallied en masse, raising enough funds to forge two statues: one was sent to Jerusalem while the other was stationed outside the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, where it stood until the 1994 bombing of the embassy.

Astonishingly, the menorah was found unharmed in the rubble – surviving the collapse of a four-story building on it completely intact.

With the identity of the man behind the Knesset Menorah finally revealed, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy rededicated the statue, with a special plaque recognizing Sevi's contribution.

"Identifying the artist who created the menorah is very important to us. For years, his identity was a mystery, and now it has been resolved," Levy said during the ceremony, which was also attended by Knesset Director-General Gil Segal, CEO of B'nai B'rith International, and a delegation of the Conference of Presidents currently visiting the country.

"We are happy that David Sevi is recognized on the 70th anniversary of the menorah's arrival [in Israel] and we are proud of the deep friendships between Israel and Diaspora Jewry."

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