A general view shows the plenum at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, May 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.

JNS.org – The Knesset’s Arrangements Committee met on Monday and approved the establishment of three temporary committees, Channel 12 reported on Monday.

The committee is responsible for setting up the Israeli parliament’s various committees and determining their composition. The committees approved on Monday are temporary since the next government and opposition have yet to be formed following the March 23 fourth round of Israeli elections.

According to the report, the committee approved the setting up of the temporary Finance Committee, to be headed by Knesset member Moshe Gafni from the United Torah Judaism Party; the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, to be headed by Knesset member Orna Barbivai of the Yesh Atid Party; and the Committee for Arab Affairs, which is headed by Knesset member Mansour Abbas of Ra’am.

The third committee was set up as part of an understanding reached between Likud and the Joint List in exchange for the Arab party’s support for the Likud Party’s proposal for the Knesset Presidency.

That body, which is made up of the Knesset chairperson and his or her deputies, determines the parliament’s agenda.

As part of the Likud-Joint List deal, the Arrangements Committee approved a recommendation to appoint three deputies to Knesset member/caretaker Yariv Lavin after supporting votes were received from Likud, the Yamina Party, the National Religious Party and the Joint List.