Today (Thursday) the Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli harshly criticized the conduct of the opposition in closed conversations, and claimed that the government that is about to be formed is not being fought enough with the tools that the opposition has.
“The filibusters are a very effective opposition tool, as we have seen in the last year and a half,” said the labor chairwoman, about the successful activity of the ‘Netanyahu Bloc’. “In our case, when the ministers are still ours, it is a tool that can also lead to victories in the votes and an actual thwarting of the coalition’s measures.”
According to a report by Amit Segal in News 12, Michaeli claimed that giving up this tool in favor of agreements on postponing the votes for a day, and presenting it as if it was some kind of “victory” is a scandal – “certainly in the face of a predatory coalition that has come to crush the cornerstones of Israeli democracy.”
“The public expects to see a fighting opposition,” said Minister Michaeli, “and not a pampered opposition.”
After the Likud faction unanimously approved on Sunday this week Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu’s request to appoint Yariv Levin as the temporary speaker of the Knesset, the opposition planned to conduct a filibuster.
But after a stormy discussion in the organizing committee, Beish Atid reached a compromise with the Likud and determined that the vote would be postponed for a day – to Tuesday morning, and canceled the filibuster.
After the compromise, Bish Atid celebrated: “First victory.” There will be no vote on the speaker of the Knesset today. The fear and pressure paralyzed Yoav Kish who realized that he was unable to mobilize his people for the votes and their tight schedule would postpone again and again.