MK Avigdor Lieberman
Photo: Fabian Koldorf
PM Olmert promises support
Photo: Shalom Bar-Tal
MK Cabel promises to oppose bill at all costs
Photo: Ofer Amram
Yishai says Shas opposes voter threshold
Photo: Amir Cohen
MK Pines-Paz: bill undermines coalition stability
Photo: Ofer Amram
Lieberman's bill meets tough opposition
Members of coalition, opposition both vow to oppose bill to change system of government, which is Israel Our Home chairman's condition for joining coalition
Both opposition and coalition attempt to stop Lieberman: A week after the political community was rocked by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's meeting with Israel Our Home Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, it seems as if the two's joint plans are about to derail.
Lieberman, who agreed to join the coalition on the condition of Kadima's support for his bill regarding a change of the Israeli system of government, will most likely be surprised to discover that this Wednesday, during a preliminary vote on the bill, the PM – who promised to advance the bill – won't even be in the country. And this won't be his only surprise.
Lieberman's suggested change
Attila Somfalvi
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Senior members of the Labor party have been working for days with members of the opposition in order to crush Lieberman's bill. Labor sources estimated that if Lieberman will not succeed in passing the bill, he will find it difficult to join the coalition.
"In that case, it will appear as if he's crawling in (to join the coalition)," they told Ynet.
Likud members said Saturday that their faction is expected to oppose the bill "because the issue has become political". Last week, members of the National Religious Party also indicated that they would oppose the bill.
Therefore, the key to passing the bill is the support of the coalition, whose formal stance will be decided in a meeting of the ministerial committee on legislation. The Labor party, who will meet Sunday to discuss the unfolding political situation, is anticipated to agree to oppose Lieberman's bill.
Prior to the meeting, Minister Eitan Cabel, a member of the ministerial committee, said that he would oppose Lieberman's bill no matter what. Cabel promised to appeal the committee's decision if they decide to approve the bill. If a minister submits such an appeal, the coalition is required to oppose a bill up until an additional meeting on the subject by the ministerial committee.
In other words, if Cabel submits an appeal to the committee, the coalition's stance will be to oppose the bill. Sources in the PM's office and within the political community at large said that if Lieberman thinks he won't be able to gain a majority, he will most likely ask to postpone a vote on the bill.
Shas rages: No one said a word to us
Health Minister Yacov Ben Yizri (Pensioners), also a member of the ministerial committee on legislation, stated opposition to bill last week, although sources close to him said that he is still debating and may not even attend the vote.
Senior members of the Pensioners party told Ynet: "We're saying it loud and clear. We'll oppose this bill in the Knesset. The faction will oppose Lieberman's bill." Nonetheless, reports from the prime minister's office indicate that the coalition will be able to count on the Pensioners' support for the bill.
And what about Shas? Party chairman and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Eliyahu Yishai announced that Minister Meshulam Nahari, the party's representative in the ministerial committee on legislation, would not support the bill.
According to Yishai, "in the coalition agreement, it was stated that no bill would be submitted without the agreement of all members of the coalition. No one asked for our agreement regarding the suggested vote threshold in the bill – ten percent. We cannot agree to such a percent."
"Furthermore, it doesn't appear as if the bill, as it has been drafted, addresses the ills of the political system or the political culture in Israel. It's a sort of legal patchwork quilt, which most likely will not provide the required solution," he added.
Sources close to Yishai said that the faction is likely to oppose the bill in the Knesset and censured the prime minister's behavior on the issue. "No one said a word to us; no one asked us or consulted us. This is a violation of the coalition agreement," they said. "This issue does not appear in the coalition agreement or in its general guidelines."
Sources close to Olmert said that if the ministerial committee on legislation will agree to support Lieberman's bill despite the opposition of Shas representatives, Labor representatives and Pensioners, the entire coalition will be required to support the bill in the Knesset vote.
The sources rejected claims that coalition factions must support only issues that were decided upon in the coalition agreement. Nevertheless, it seems that most coalition factions are standing against Lieberman's suggested change of the system of government.
The 'crown us a king' method
Minister Eitan Cabel dismissed such statements from the PM's office, saying, "I intend to oppose a bill for presidential government, which is a dictatorial government."
"Changes are required to the political system, but from there to arrive at the conclusion that a leader with expanded powers will solve all of our problems is a mistake. What we need is leadership, not a change in the system of government," he continued.
Minister Ophir Pines-Paz said the Labor party must oppose such a bill. "Lieberman's bill is a step in the direction of transforming Israel from a democracy to a dictatorship. The authority that the prime minister would receive is present only in the Mubarak government and those like it. Lieberman is taking advantage of the weakness in Israeli politics."
"Instead of dealing with the damaged political culture in Israel, which he is part of, he moves towards the method of 'crown us a king'. It's always like that in the Jewish nation. We look for a strong leader in times of weakness," he explained.
"I hope that all party members will vote against the bill on Wednesday. I'm sorry that the prime minister and Kadima intend to support it. This would be a dangerous law and I think that supporting it undermines the stability of the coalition," he concluded.
Labor party to meet
The Labor party is supposed to decide on a unified front in their meeting Sunday and sources estimate that party chairman Amir Peretz will encourage the faction to oppose the bill, in order to prevent Lieberman from joining the government, particularly as it concerns the budget.
"There's no doubt that the party must work as a unified body in order to implement the Labor party way and its promises to the constituency," MK Shelly Yacimovich - considered rebellious because of her opposition to many Knesset issues - told Ynet.
"Bringing Lieberman into the government and the collusion of the Labor party in such a move may ensure the safety of the ministers' current positions, but will bring an end to hope for political progress and social policy," she declared.
"Sitting in the government is not an end in and of itself, but rather a means to implement an ideology, and we must present a unified front against this option," she added.
Pines-Paz rejoined: "There's no reason and no need to expand the coalition. Such an expansion undermines the stability of the coalition. We will try to create a complete commitment among faction members to abide by the coalition guidelines."
"This will pull the rug from under Olmert's claim that there's not a lack of stability in the coalition and from under the claim that you can't count on the Labor party to serve as a critical member of the coalition," he explained.
"If he'll still want to bring in Lieberman, it will mean he has other motives. My goal is to bring about a situation where 19 MKs together can commit to teamwork among the coalition," he said.
Pines-Paz stated that if Olmert will continue insisting on adding Lieberman to the coalition, he will be forcing members of the Labor party to leave the coalition. "It will be a right-wing government, of which we cannot be a part," he clarified.
