Israeli parliament sanctions critic of PM Bennett, his party

By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli parliamentary committee has sanctioned a breakaway member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s party. The decision hands a small political victory to the Israeli leader as he seeks to stabilize his fragile government and deter any other rebel lawmakers. The Knesset committee voted 7-0 on Monday to declare Amichai Chikli a “defector.” The move bars him from joining a rival party in the current parliament in future elections. Bennett had requested the vote. Chikli broke away from Bennett’s Yamina party when the coalition was formed last year, accusing Bennett of betraying the party’s hard-line ideology. He has been seen as a potential candidate for the opposition Likud party.