At the same time as the legislation is being promoted in the Knesset plenum and in the committees, around Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu, the timetables for the next steps are being formulated.
According to estimates, Netanyahu is expected to inform the President of the State Yitzhak Herzog tomorrow, “Alah Bidi.” After that, according to the law, the notification is delivered to the Knesset, after which Netanyahu must appoint his new government within a week. According to this schedule, the government will be sworn in on the 28th of the month. However, it is possible that the swearing-in will be postponed to the first week of January.
Likud announced that the Law of Return will not be changed – this is the party’s alternative proposal
Meanwhile, despite the claims of the coalition partners that the agreements are almost ready for the ceremonial signing, another debate remains, for now, without agreements. This is a demand that came up in the talks with the entire partnership, according to which the grandson clause in the Law of Return, which allows third generation Jews to immigrate to Israel as a new immigrant and to enjoy the many rights and benefits that immigrants deserve, should be abolished.
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Despite differences of opinion within the Likud faction regarding the issue, in the coalition negotiations the Likud representatives informed the partnership that canceling the grandson clause is a very problematic demand, which will not be passed publicly, and therefore more moderate alternatives should be considered. In Likud they proposed to insert into the agreements a section that talks about the establishment of a dedicated committee that will discuss the grandson section and formulate conclusions during the term of the government.
During the discussions on the subject, another proposal was made, according to which the grandchildren of Jews who wish to move to Israel will be granted the status of permanent residency and not citizenship. The idea was rejected by the Likud, and the demand to agree on the establishment of the committee returned to center stage.
In Torah Judaism, they tend not to insist on the demand to cancel the grandson clause and to accept the Likud proposal. However, Torah Judaism did not like the briefings according to which they are ready to compromise. “We do not accept the attempt to present an image, as if the ultra-Orthodox are renegades and compromisers regarding the granting of Israeli citizenship to non-Jews, as opposed to religious Zionism, which apparently stands by its principles,” said an official in Torah Judaism.
In the meantime, the Minister of Finance and Chairman of Yisrael Beitenu Avigdor Lieberman yesterday sent a letter to the leaders of the future opposition. In his letter, he demands a clear message, according to which, when they return to power, “all of the initiatives, legislation, changes in the structure of the government and the budgetary commitments as they appear and more will appear in the coalition agreements – everything will be canceled immediately.”
According to Lieberman, “In recent weeks we have witnessed the establishment of a destructive government, which is dismantling the state and dividing the people. The legislation as it is being carried out today and the budget commitments of Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu to his coalition partners constitute a serious damage to the order of good governance and the Israeli economy.”
He also noted that the release of the unified statement is “the only clear message that all those who voted for us and even for the Likud are looking forward to today. Precisely on Hanukkah, it is important that we, as a future opposition, breathe hope and light, demonstrate a single, clear and clear voice.”
In response to the comments, Defense Minister and chairman of the state camp Benny Gantz wrote that “my fellow finance minister and chairman of the Israel Beitenu party is right. As a general rule, when a broad state government is established, we will cancel all initiatives that harm security, governance, social fairness and Israeli democracy.”