Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stands to receive the protection of unexpected allies as he faces a plenum vote to dissolve the Knesset.
| Labor, Shas in Favor |
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| Ultra-Orthodox party announces its support of Knesset dissolution motion / Attila Somfalvi |
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Shas joins Labor in announcing it will support MK Shalom's motion for dissolution of Knesset, which makes for significant majority of MKs to pass motion in preliminary vote, scheduled to take place June 25 |
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Parliament's Arab parties, it has become apparent, plan to object to the dissolution motion when it is brought to a preliminary vote next week. Elections at this point, they fear, will lead to a government far from their liking.
"The fact that the prime minister is under investigation shouldn't necessarily mean he must resign," MK Talab El-Sana (United Arab List – Ta'al) told Ynet on Monday.
"We don't think we should be handing out rewards to the Right. Prime ministers have always been under investigation, I don't recall that the Right was quite so adamant about dissolving the Knesset when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was being investigated," he said.
"We have no desire to witness the rise of (Likud Chairman Benjamin) Netanyahu, who will slash welfare stipends for children. What's more is that we have a window of opportunity now to advance the peace process – both on the Palestinian track and the Syrian one – and we believe this opportunity should be
given a chance."
MK Jamal Zahalka, chairman of the Balad party, voiced a similar viewpoint.
"We don't work for Netanyahu and (Yisrael Beitenu chairman) Lieberman. We have no interest in helping them, and they will be the sole benefactors if the Knesset is dissolved – and therefore Balad will not support this motion," said Zahalka.
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