The Knesset House Committee declared April 25 that Knesset member Amichai Chikli of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party would be considered a “retiree.” This form of sanctioning is reserved for extreme situations in which a Knesset member acts against the positions of his or her own party in order to receive benefits such as the promise of a senior position in a rival party. Knesset members declared “retirees” are banned from running in future elections as part of any existing party. In order to run, they must first form a new party.
Shortly before the last election, Chikli was given the number-five slot on Yamina’s party list. He is an educator and right-wing ideologue who served in the IDF. At the time, Bennett described him as an exemplary citizen. But then Bennett decided to join a coalition with leftist factions and even an Arab party, despite previous commitments to voters.
