Benny Begin
Benny BeginYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

MK Benny Begin (Likud) said on Tuesday that he understood why coalition chairman MK David Bitan had to suspend him from a Knesset committee for breaking with coalition discipline, but said he did not regret voting against the Regulation Law.

"The mechanism of coalition discipline is an important mechanism which is necessary in order for the government and the coalition to function. The coalition chairman did his duty and I am ready to accept the punishment,” Begin told Army Radio.

At the same time, he clarified that the punishment was not an easy one for him.

"It’s not easy. I like working in all the Knesset committees, and certainly the Knesset Constitution Committee. I spend many hours in the committee, I come to the discussions with joy and sometimes even delight. About six months ago the Prime Minister asked me to join the government and the cabinet, and I told him that I would prefer to work in the Knesset,” said Begin.

Explaining why he voted against the Regulation Law, Begin said the bill “is very bad for Israel.”

“For the first time in 50 years, the Knesset is being asked to legislate a bill which negatively impacts the rights of the Arab inhabitants of Judea and Samaria. They do not vote for the Knesset, and we should be very careful when exercising governmental authority over them,” he added.

“Unfortunately, under the auspices of this mechanism of coalition discipline we reached a very problematic area. Unfortunately others chose differently than me. I think I behaved properly as a representative of the public," said Begin.