Avigdor Lieberman
Photo: Eli Mendelbaum
Lieberman warns High Court will reject Regulation Bill
Defense Minister Lieberman declares his intention to support the bill designed to legalize various outposts in the West Bank, but cautions against optimism: ‘The chances that it will be thrown out in the HCJ are 100 percent’; Meanwhile, Netanyahu promises to advance the bill to ‘stop the harassment of communities in Judea and Samaria’; Isaac Herzog slams bill as the ‘most dangerous in Israel.’
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared his party’s support Monday afternoon for the Regulation Bill—which seeks to legalize certain outposts in the West Bank—while cautiously adding that the chances of it actually being ratified by the High Court of Justice (HCJ) were scant.
“You don’t need to be a genius. When you read that the Attorney General says that the law is unconstitutional, the chances that it will be thrown out in the HCJ are 100 percent,” he cautioned during the Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting.
Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)
A Knesset Special Committee met to discuss the Regulation Bill on Monday afternoon in order to discuss the law as it approaches its second and third Knesset reading.
It was announced earlier on Monday that the discussion would be delayed until the following day when the opposition managed to delay the vote after submitting 500 objections to the proposed bill.
Despite the best efforts of the opposition to force delay however, eventually the Knesset Chairman Yuli Edelstein and Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan, decided to schedule the vote regardless.
While the bill’s chief proponents insist that it be brought to the vote, Lieberman's warnings came on the heels of an announcement by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit stating his intention not to defend the bill if it is approved given that, according to him, it is unconstitutional and could precipitate numerous lawsuits being brought against Israel in the Hague.
By contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted during his Likud party meeting that “This week we will advance the Regulation Bill, with the aim of preventing repeated attempts to harass the communities in Judea and Samaria.”
PM Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)
Heads of the Yesha Council convened Monday morning to stage a protest opposite the Knesset in support of the bill and voiced their anger against the planned evacuation of Amona—one of the key outposts which propelled the proposed bill to prominence.
Demonstrations in support of Regulation Bill (Photo: David Michael Cohen/TPS)
Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog came out swinging full force against the bill during his Zionist Union meeting, describing it as one of the most dangerous bills in the State of Israel.
“The reason is that this bill is unconstitutional. All legal advisors aggressively oppose it,” he asserted.
“This law is one which annexes and complicates (matters). It will complicate and endanger the country’s and IDF’s leaders in the international courts. It contravenes both domestic and international law. It is dangerous on an unprecedented scale and what is more, it is annexation by theft.”
