Bereaved Families Urge Kahana Not to Rely on Arab Parties for Knesset Speaker Vote

Nearly 200 bereaved families sent MK Matan Kahana a letter on Sunday urging him not to rely on votes from Arab parties to become Knesset speaker. The families include relatives of fallen IDF soldiers and people murdered in terrorist attacks. Their appeal comes ahead of a speaker vote expected on Tuesday, November 17. The signatories appealed to Kahana's military background as a combat soldier, pilot and reserve officer. They referred to his combat leadership and the comrades he had lost, arguing that his decision carried a moral and public responsibility beyond parliamentary calculations. “It is not too late to correct this,” the families wrote. The letter recalled the October 7 Hamas attack and Hezbollah's subsequent attacks from the north. Its authors accused Arab parties of refusing to recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, and alleged that some members had expressed understanding or support for their actions. They argued that accepting those parties' support would hurt bereaved families and the memory of the relatives they lost. The families asked Kahana to reject political cooperation of this kind and prevent the Arab parties' votes from deciding his election.