Dramatic coalition day: The bill to extend the emergency regulations in Judea and Samaria goes up today (Monday) for a vote in the Knesset plenum – a vote that could decide the fate of the government following the ultimatum issued by the new chairman of Tikva and the Minister of Justice Gideon Saar. This is the first reading, with the law due to be passed by June 30.
In presenting the law, Minister Saar said: “The security of the citizens of Judea and Samaria and the citizens of Israel in general requires the passage of the law. The responsibility of every elected public will be examined at this time, regardless of his political affiliation and political worldview. Unfortunately, we are striving. “
“I propose to extend its validity for another five years, no changes have been made to the wording of the regulations. There are crucial moments in democracy – this moment is crucial because it defines whether anything can be a political tool? To completely crush the legal system in Judea and Samaria is unforgivable. “The citizens of Israel will not be forgiven for doing so – from Bibi to Tibi,” he said.
Although the bill will go up, it is not at all certain that there will be a majority for the coalition, when the position of the RAAM party is not yet clear. The RAAM faction convened to determine its final decision on the issue. Prior to the vote, the Prime Minister’s Office held a consultation with the participation of Bennett, Lapid and Saar.
The coalition estimates that in the end, MK Jida Rinawi-Zoabi will vote like a prime minister, but for now it is difficult to determine whether this assessment is more of a wish or a statement out of knowing or both. A source in the coalition said: “It seems that we will know how the problematic Knesset members vote only during the ballot.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett He said before the vote: “In the first week they said we would not finish the week, in the first month they said we would not finish the month. Now we are celebrating a year of growth, low unemployment, and security in the Gaza Strip and we will go through that too.”
Prime Minister Bennett in preparation for the vote to extend the Judea and Samaria regulations, Yaki Adamkar Walla!
At the same time, the National Insurance Institute clarified that even if regulations in the settlements do not pass. The law still puts Israeli residents in Judea and Samaria under the National Insurance Law and they are entitled to benefits.
As stated, the coalition hopes that the entire RAAM faction will support the Judea and Samaria regulations today, but the fear is that the MK Balance of scoundrels, Swinging and subject to heavy pressure to oppose the bill, will vote against or abstain from voting. At the same time, in an interview with N12, Ghanaim clarified that he would vote against the law.
In any case, even if a majority is not reached, Saar will go to the polls today to vote. An opposition source said that the Likud was trying to get the RAAM to vote against “why vote for if the law fell anyway.” So the message from this morning is Shaidit Silman Decided to resist.
The RAAM are supposed to formulate a position during the meeting, and in the meantime Silman Gives hints about her intentions to join the opposition in the vote, but even there nothing is final and things will only become clear near the vote. The coalition claims that even if the law does not pass tonight, it will be put to a vote again. The coalition tends to think that Gideon Saar will not overthrow the government over this, despite the sharp messages he recently conveyed.
It is important to clarify that neither MK Silman nor the members of the Knesset of RAAM did not make a final decision, nor did they send an official statement on the subject to the coalition and the opposition. The opposition, in fact, is trying to do an exercise for the RAAM because there are a number of swinging MKs in the party, who may vote against in case Silman finally decides to do so.
Also, due to the preoccupation with a new position of hope and Gideon Saar’s intentions, events and right-wing organizations have fallen off the agenda, with officials saying that at least one right-wing MK has spoken out in recent days about resigning from the coalition if regulations for Judea and Samaria are not approved tonight.
Ahead of the dramatic vote, this morning MK Ghanaim was interviewed on the radio station “Makhan” and hinted at how he would vote tonight: “If the government falls apart it will be the problem of Saar and Bennett. Everyone will see how I vote. “He added that” Kahana would be ashamed to speak like Eli Cohen and ministers in this government. “Auerbach and Kara rejoice every time someone says we should be sent to Arab countries.”
Also a member of the Shura Council and a list of RAAM Atia Al-Assam Referring to tonight’s vote, in an interview with Radio Gali Israel, he said: “Is the end of the road of the Prime Minister? This is also the end of the road of the government. If the Prime Minister leaves the government, she will fall. Occupied land, I do not know if Israeli law should apply to this land. ” In contrast, the coalition is actually squinting for support from the opposition, when the minister Karin Elharar Called on 103FM for the Likud party to support the proposal: “What should guide it is not cheap politics but the public interest.” She even called on all coalition members to support it, even if it was “against things they strongly believe in.”
Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman, He said at the faction meeting that the coalition would be able to overcome any situation that arose. I hope people understand that it is very important to pass the regulations. “I expect the heads of the Yesha Council to demand that Netanyahu support the regulations.” He signed his remarks by saying that he “believes that in the end we will pass the regulations of Judea and Samaria.”
The coalition is considering declaring a vote of confidence in the government
Last night, members of the RAAM faction gathered to discuss how to vote. Chairman of the RAAM Mansour Abbas He said over the weekend in an interview with Radio a-Nas: “I could have long ago disbanded the coalition and emerged a Palestinian national hero, but I am a responsible leader who cares about the future of Arab society and Israeli society as a whole.” He further said that the decision to be made will be binding on all members of the faction.
The coalition is therefore considering declaring the vote today as a vote of confidence in the government to oblige all members of the RAAM faction to support the vote, but it is also possible that the vote will be postponed to another date if it turns out that the required majority was not reached. Among other things, based on a statement issued by the faction over the weekend, in which it announced a summary for the transfer of about NIS 200 million to aid the locality of Jisr a-Zarqa. The agreement was reached at a meeting between MK Walid Taha, chairman of the Ra’am faction, and the director general of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Naama Schultz, and senior officials from the local authority in Jisr a-Zarqa. “If RAAM leads to the dissolution of the coalition, all its achievements will go down the drain,” a senior coalition official said last night.
Chairman of Ra’am Mansour Abbas (Photo: Yonatan Zindel)About two weeks ago, the Finance Committee approved the transfer of NIS 740 million, which was promised to RAAM as part of a five-year plan for the Arab sector.
At the same time as the RAAM votes, the coalition also needs the voice of MK Idit Silman, who is being pressured by the Likud and religious Zionism to vote against the regulations and bring about the dissolution of the coalition. On the other hand, MK Silman fears that a vote with the opposition will lead the right-wing faction to declare her a resigner, which will prevent her from running in the next elections in the Likud or any other party represented in the 24th Knesset. .
Plan B of Saar
The Meretz faction has already promised its support for the Judea and Samaria regulations. Michal Rosin Why the faction will support the regulations, even though it has voted against them in the past and they are contrary to Meretz’s ideological positions. “I ask do we have an alternative and what is the alternative? If I had known I would overthrow the government and form a center-left government, I would do it now,” Rosin said. “If the regulations fall and the government disintegrates, we will both eat the rotten fish and be expelled from the city, because within a week the right will pass the regulations.”
As I recall a new Tikva chairman and Justice Minister Gideon Saar warned last week that the vote today would be “a test of whether the coalition wants to exist or does not want to exist. This vote will see it, ”which was immediately interpreted as a threat to dismantle the coalition in case the law is not passed. Saar’s entourage said last night that the vote would not be postponed.
However, various elements in the coalition disagree regarding reports that Saar is willing to use the non-approval of the Judea and Samaria Regulations Law as a ground for overthrowing the government. It’s the kind of thing that will only end at the last minute, it’s not for people with weak nerves. “
Regarding Saar’s intentions, the same sources say that “Saar is not interested in overthrowing the government. He is working hard for the regulations to pass. And if this law does not pass this week, we will bring it up again next week.”
Naftali Bennett and Gideon Saar in the Knesset Plenum (Photo: Olivia Fitoussi, Flash 90)On the other hand, other elements in the coalition see the situation more pessimistically: “In our estimates, Saar is really there. Not that for him the overthrow of regulations, and consequently the overthrow of the government – is a ‘plan to begin with’. If his law falls, we will see Plan B in him, which means breaking tools on the grounds that the government is not functioning, as is the coalition, and this situation is dangerous for the country. “
However, the same sources claim that the success in approving the regulations and the survival of the government involves the position of RAAM and the vote on the law of the Minister of Justice. “Talk to the Coalition for Regulations.”
A year for the Bennett-Lapid government: a crisis that pursues a crisis
- June 2021 – MK Amichai Shikli (right) voted against the formation of the Bennett-Lapid government at the time of her inauguration.
- July 2021 – The coalition failed to pass the Citizenship Law, after MK Shikli objected and two MKs from Ra’am were absent.
- February 2022 Blue and White has announced that it will not participate in the voting because of the damage to IDF pensions.
- February 2022 – Minister Eli Avidar (Yisrael Beiteinu) resigned from the government and returned to serve in the Knesset.
- April 2022 – MK Idit Silman (right) resigned from the coalition. The government lost the majority in the Knesset.
- April 2020RAAM froze its activities in the coalition, but following the decision of the Shura Council decided to give the coalition “another chance”.
- May 2022 – MK Jida Rinawi Zoabi (Meretz) announced her resignation from the coalition, but withdrew in exchange for a series of promises.
Meeting of Yair Lapid and Jida Rinawi Zoabi (Photo: None)- May 2022 A wave of celibacy in the Prime Minister’s Office.
- May 2022 – MK Michael Bitton (blue and white) announced that he would not participate in the votes, except for no confidence, due to his opposition to public transport reform and agriculture reform.
- June 2022 – An ultimatum from Minister Gideon Saar (New Hope), after the coalition has difficulty obtaining a majority to extend the emergency regulations in Judea and Samaria.