One of the coalition’s most far-reaching legislative initiatives cleared a preliminary Knesset vote on Wednesday, advancing a proposal that could dramatically reshape the balance of power between elected officials and senior government appointees.

Known as the “Appointments Law,” the legislation would grant a future government significantly broader authority to remove senior officials, including the attorney general, the IDF chief of staff, the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, and other top state officials.

According to a report by i24NEWS, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Edo Norden, played a central role in drafting and advancing the legislation. Before entering his current position, Norden reportedly authored the proposal and has since pushed coalition lawmakers to move it through the legislative process as quickly as possible.

The report states that Norden urged Likud and chareidi lawmakers to support the bill’s preliminary reading this week and work toward final passage before the next election.

Supporters of the legislation argue that it would bring Israel’s system closer to that of the United States, where incoming administrations have broad authority to appoint senior officials aligned with their policies.

“This is the most important law for the right,” Norden reportedly told lawmakers. “It will allow us to make appointments the way they do in the United States.”

The proposal, however, has also sparked concern within the coalition itself.

Some coalition officials are warning that the law could ultimately backfire if the current government loses power. Under the proposed framework, a future government could potentially remove officials recently appointed by the current coalition, including newly installed security chiefs whose appointments were secured only after lengthy legal and political battles.

Critics within the coalition have questioned whether it is wise to create a mechanism that could be used by political opponents to rapidly replace key officials following a change in government.

The bill must still pass several additional legislative stages before becoming law.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)