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Blue and White leaders look to chair secret sub-committees in Knesset

Benny Gantz is to be declared opposition leader, receiving diplomatic and security briefings from the prime minister. 

By World Israel News Staff

As it appears destined to sit in the political opposition following its narrow election defeat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, members of Blue and White are jockeying for membership in the prestigious Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

In addition, they hope to chair some of the secret sub-committees, reports the Maariv daily.

Blue and White is led by three former military chiefs of staff: Benny Gantz, Moshe Yaalon, and Gabi Ashkenazi, as well as former finance minister Yair Lapid, whose decision to merge his party into the Blue and White list for last Tuesday’s election was crucial to the party’s success.

The party hopes to include its four top members in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, according to Maariv.

It’s also looking to include another retired general, former IDF personnel branch chief Orna Barbivai, on the committee. Barbivai was the first woman to reach the rank of major general in the IDF.

Assuming that Blue and White does not join a Netanyahu government, which looks unlikely, party head Gantz would be declared the opposition leader in the Israeli parliament. The position entitles him to monthly briefings from the prime minister on diplomatic and security matters.

The Likud earned 36 seats while Blue and White won 35 seats in the general election.

It has been announced that the newly-elected 120-member Knesset is to convene on April 30.

This will be the 21st Knesset since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.