New Knesset secretary approved despite reported opposition of coalition’s left flank

Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy on Monday tapped a longtime legal official to serve as the parliament’s next secretary-general.

Levy’s nominee, Dan Marzuk, was okayed by the Knesset Presidium.

Marzuk, a lawyer, previously filled several parliamentary posts, including that of senior adviser to the Knesset’s top legal official.

In a statement, Levy lauded Marzuk as a “worthy pick.”

“The parliamentary and constitutional complexity of the Knesset plenum and committees requires the choice of a secretary-general with rich experience, who knows the secrets of the Knesset’s work and is expert in Knesset-government relations,” Levy said.

Though Marzuk’s appointment was approved, Channel 12 news reported that the selection caused tension with the coalition’s left-wing Labor and Meretz parties, which unsuccessfully tried to promote their own candidate.

The opposition Likud and Shas parties reportedly also demanded other candidates be put forward.

Marzuk will replace Yardena Meller-Horowitz, who is due to step down in March after 12 years as the Knesset’s secretary-general. The job of the secretary-general is to oversee and manage parliamentary activities, such as plenum meetings.