Israel Raises Vote Threshold for Parliament Seats

Israeli lawmakers approved Tuesday a controversial bill raising the threshold of votes political parties need in elections to gain representation in parliament.

Parties must now obtain 3.25 percent of the vote in elections, instead of two percent, in order to obtain seats in the Knesset.

The bill was introduced by members of the Yesh Atid party and Yisrael Beitenu faction, which are part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition.

It passed by a vote of 67-0, but was boycotted by all opposition MPs in a protest against the extent to which it excludes minority parties from parliamentary participation.

Under the previous law, the two percent minimum would earn a party two seats. They must now gain 3.25 percent to have four MPs.

The new law would mean that the center-right Kadima party of Israel's late prime minister Ariel Sharon, which currently has two seats, would not have made it in to the current Knesset.

Nor would the Arab nationalist party Balad, which has three MPs.

Arab Israelis make up around 20 percent of Israel's population. Leaders of Arab parties have stated they would work to unite ahead of the next elections, due in three years, and predicted an increase in their seats.

"This law will allow the government to set a clear agenda," said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beitenu party united with Netanyahu's Likud ahead of the elections. That was an allusion to the challenge many cabinets have faced of placating an ideologically divided coalition government.

An additional law passed in the same session limits the number of cabinet ministers to 18 and deputy ministers to four. There are currently 22 ministers and eight deputies, with past governments including even higher numbers.