PM Netanyahu ahead of no-confidence vote
Photo: Reuters
Gas price hike leads to no-confidence vote
Netanyahu's government under attack as Knesset plenum reviews no confidence votes from Left, Right
No-confidence vote in government over fuel prices: The Knesset plenum is meeting Monday to deliberate over a government no confidence vote brought forward by factions from both the left and the right.
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One of the no-confidence votes which will most certainly cause uproar in the Knesset belongs to the Kadima faction and focuses on the rise in fuel prices. Under the heading "Netanyahu raises fuel prices and ignores the lower sectors of society".
Knesset Member Arie Bibi (Kadima) criticized the government and claimed that it distanced itself from the people: "This is condescension, cruelty and a deep misunderstanding of the basic needs, this government is disconnected from the people."
He also criticized Defense Minister Ehud Barak and noted that "those living in the exclusive Akirov buildings won't be affected by the gas price rise." Hinting at the protests in Egypt, MK Bibi said: "Today we see history in the making as the nations around us come out against tyrants because of the price rise of basic foods and products."
MK Chaim Oron (Meretz) criticized the prime minister and said that the only reason for the price hike is to "collect taxes from the poor in order to enrich the wealthy".
The no-confidence vote comes just a day ahead of yet another increase in fuel prices which will see 95 octane gasoline costing a record high of NIS 7.62 ($2.07) per liter (0.26 gallons) self service. The previous record was registered last month when a liter of gasoline was sold for NIS 7.14 ($1.94). This is a 1.68% on the current price and is ascribed to the rise in prices of petroleum barrels and the currency exchanges.
Due to the expected rise in fuel prices, dozens of driver took to the streets last week in a protest drive from the Glilot junction to the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem.
The hike in gas prices is not the only issue behind the no-confidence votes. A vote brought forward by the Meretz and Labor factions sites the Al Jazeera Israel-Palestinian negotiation document leaks as a reason for the no-confidence vote; they criticized Netanyahu over the "ongoing political freeze."
But that isn't where it ends; the right wing National Union faction who is angry over Netanyahu's decision to freeze east Jerusalem construction presented a no-confidence vote under the headline "the continued government freeze in Jerusalem".
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