Avigdor Lieberman
Photo: Ofer Meir
No majority to pass suspension bill
Knesset to hold a first reading of PM Netanyahu's proposal to allow a supermajority in the legislature to suspend an MK, but 2 Likud MKs opted out of the vote in protest, while in the opposition, Lieberman conditions his support in gov't support of his anti-Supreme Court legislation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Suspension Act
is scheduled to go to a vote in the Knesset on Monday, but it is unclear whether the coalition would have sufficient support to pass it.
The legislation was proposed after Arab MKs from the Balad party met with families of Palestinian terrorists who committed attacks over the past six months of hostilities.
The bill seeks to amend Basic Law: The Knesset, allowing a supermajority (of 90 MKs) in the legislature to suspend a fellow lawmaker if he or she rejects Israel's right to exist as both a Jewish and democratic state, incites to racism, or supports an armed conflict of an enemy state or terror organization against Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)
In serious cases, the suspension will last until the end of the term and lead to the replacement of the MK with the next candidate on the party list.
Likud MKs Avraham Neguise and Dudu Amsalem have threatened not to vote on the legislation in protest of the government's decision to halt efforts to bring the remaining members of the Falash Mura community from Ethiopia to Israel.
This will bring the vote to a 59:59 tie between the coalition and opposition.
Meanwhile, MK Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beytenu party has six seats in the opposition, said he would only support the Suspension Act if the coalition in turn supports his separation of power legislation.
"The prime minister knows that he would never be able to bring together 90 MKs to support the suspension of another MK," Lieberman said at Yisrael Beytenu's weekly faction meeting.
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman.
"If you want our support," he noted, "it will be on the condition you support our proposal - the separation of powers bill - meaning the Supreme Court would not be able to interfere in decisions made by the Knesset. If they support our bill, we'll support that 'Israbluff' they're proposing."
Arab MKs meeting with families of terrorists.
A month ago, the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the proposal amidst much contention. Opposition members left the room in protest before the voting commenced, leaving only seven out of the 15 committee members to approve the bill.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit approved the legislation, but urged caution. “There are inherent difficulties in trying peers on the basis of ideology, while empowering a political majority of MKs to end the tenure of a sitting, lawfully-elected Knesset member," he said. “This law provides openings for harassment of the minority by the majority, thus thwarting the will of the voters. That is why the formulation of its details requires great care.”
