The Knesset stormily debated today Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg\'s planned visit to Ramallah. MK Nissim Ze\'ev (Shas) said,
\"I understand, Mr. Speaker, that since [you lost the election for Labor Party leader to] Ben-Eliezer, you have gone more to the left. I have no problem with you taking along to Ramallah [Arab MKs] Mahoul, Tibi, and Dahamshe, so that it will be clear whom you truly represent. And another thing: Picture the Speaker of the US House of Representatives going to meet with Bin Laden - how would the American people like that?\'\"
Minister Danny Naveh said, \"A visit at this time in this context will be used by the Palestinians as part of their public relations campaign to extricate themselves from the isolation that Israel has - with a good measure of success - visited upon them.\" Burg, who appeared pleased with the storm raging around him, hinted that he might agree to a compromise in which he visits Ramallah as an individual MK and not as Knesset Speaker. The Knesset will hold a vote on Burg\'s trip a week before it is scheduled.
The Knesset also voted today by a 33-10 margin against a bill proposed by Herut MK Michael Kleiner calling for the invalidation of the Oslo Agreement. Ministers Reuven Rivlin and Tzippy Livni voted against the bill, while Deputy Minister Naomi Blumental voted for it. In his speech explaining the bill, Kleiner said, \"We must fight terrorism by denying Arafat the fruits of his previous terrorism... We must put the entire Palestinian Authority on the ship Karin-A, B, and C, and send them all from Aza (Gaza) to Azazel.\"
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, speaking against the bill in the name of the government, delivered a furious response attacking Kleiner personally. Peres described Kleiner\'s views as a \"catastrophe,\" and said that we must be grateful that the Oslo Agreements exist. Some excerpts:
\"The catastrophe is that we didn\'t implement Oslo, not that we signed it! ... You want to go back to Hevron?! And who will you enlist to do it - the entire army?! Just because some mosquito got into your head?!\" Kleiner interrupted, \"Why did you leave Hevron in the first place?\" Peres: \"Because we had to!\"
MK Zevulun Orlev explained to Arutz-7 today a proposed law, of which he is one of the sponsors, that passed its first reading last night. The bill calls for the removal from the Parliamentary immunity clause crimes that involve negating the very existence of the State: \"Parliamentary immunity grants MKs immunity from crimes committed while in the course of their duties,\" Orlev said. \"This allows ridiculous situations such as MK Dr. Azmi Bshara sitting together with Hizbullah members in Damascus and encouraging them, and MK Barakeh going to Ramallah and meeting with the head of the murderous Tanzim, Marwan Bargouti. Just like an MK cannot murder his Knesset opponent in the course of an argument, he also cannot do things that strike against the very nation he is representing…\"
\"I understand, Mr. Speaker, that since [you lost the election for Labor Party leader to] Ben-Eliezer, you have gone more to the left. I have no problem with you taking along to Ramallah [Arab MKs] Mahoul, Tibi, and Dahamshe, so that it will be clear whom you truly represent. And another thing: Picture the Speaker of the US House of Representatives going to meet with Bin Laden - how would the American people like that?\'\"
Minister Danny Naveh said, \"A visit at this time in this context will be used by the Palestinians as part of their public relations campaign to extricate themselves from the isolation that Israel has - with a good measure of success - visited upon them.\" Burg, who appeared pleased with the storm raging around him, hinted that he might agree to a compromise in which he visits Ramallah as an individual MK and not as Knesset Speaker. The Knesset will hold a vote on Burg\'s trip a week before it is scheduled.
The Knesset also voted today by a 33-10 margin against a bill proposed by Herut MK Michael Kleiner calling for the invalidation of the Oslo Agreement. Ministers Reuven Rivlin and Tzippy Livni voted against the bill, while Deputy Minister Naomi Blumental voted for it. In his speech explaining the bill, Kleiner said, \"We must fight terrorism by denying Arafat the fruits of his previous terrorism... We must put the entire Palestinian Authority on the ship Karin-A, B, and C, and send them all from Aza (Gaza) to Azazel.\"
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, speaking against the bill in the name of the government, delivered a furious response attacking Kleiner personally. Peres described Kleiner\'s views as a \"catastrophe,\" and said that we must be grateful that the Oslo Agreements exist. Some excerpts:
\"The catastrophe is that we didn\'t implement Oslo, not that we signed it! ... You want to go back to Hevron?! And who will you enlist to do it - the entire army?! Just because some mosquito got into your head?!\" Kleiner interrupted, \"Why did you leave Hevron in the first place?\" Peres: \"Because we had to!\"
MK Zevulun Orlev explained to Arutz-7 today a proposed law, of which he is one of the sponsors, that passed its first reading last night. The bill calls for the removal from the Parliamentary immunity clause crimes that involve negating the very existence of the State: \"Parliamentary immunity grants MKs immunity from crimes committed while in the course of their duties,\" Orlev said. \"This allows ridiculous situations such as MK Dr. Azmi Bshara sitting together with Hizbullah members in Damascus and encouraging them, and MK Barakeh going to Ramallah and meeting with the head of the murderous Tanzim, Marwan Bargouti. Just like an MK cannot murder his Knesset opponent in the course of an argument, he also cannot do things that strike against the very nation he is representing…\"