Near the end of the 16th Knesset's first winter session, Monday, the plenum approved Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s opening address, after MKs criticized the speech, the stability of Sharon's government, and the worsening situation of the poor.
National Religious Party MK Zevulun Orlev, in response to Prime Minister Sharon’s address, stated that the prime minister has lost the “moral right” to remain in office. Orlev charged that Sharon's words were void of meaningful content and irresponsible, and that it is now apparent to all that the current government has reached the end of its road.
The Knesset voted against the government on some of the four no-confidence motions presented by opposition parties. However, Sharon’s government withstood the onslaught as Knesset law requires 61 votes for a no-confidence motion to bring down a coalition. Sharon's government has often survived collapse by losing no-confidence votes that have passed without an absolute majority.
Motions were put forward by Shas, Shinui, Hadash-Ta’al, Hit’chabrut and National Religious Parties in opposition to government policy in the economic, social and political spheres.
MKs across the political spectrum bemoaned Tuesday’s scheduled price hike for the standard loaf of subsidized bread. The price of both whole and sliced bread will rise.
Labor MK Prof. Yuli Tamir referred to the government as “cruel” for taking such a step, further hurting the already growing number of Israelis living under the poverty level. Tamir added that the Labor Party cannot “roll its eyes towards the sky in an effort to hide from responsibility, being a partner in the coalition government.”
Agudat Israel MK Rabbi Meir Porush called the move an “original gift for Israel’s poor, coinciding with the opening of the Knesset winter session.” The gift Porush explained is “the rise in the price of a basic loaf of bread, apparently part of the prime minister’s self-proclaimed commitment to combat poverty.”
The PM sidestepped another threat to his government by not presenting the Knesset his list of ministerial appointments, as he had planned. Sharon postponed the decision until next week, but stated he will not change the list. Analysts explained that Sharon almost certainly would not have had a majority in the Knesset to approve the list, and that could have forced Sharon into new elections.
Sharon hopes to use the coming week to persuade opponents within the Likud to change their position and support his appointments.
In reaction to the postponement, opposition leader Knesset Member Yosef (Tomy) Lapid of Shinui called for immediate national elections to replace what he characterized as a non-functioning government.
Lapid attacked both the Likud and Labor parties while being heckled for not providing strong opposition to the government.
"The decision on postponement is additional proof of the government's inability to function, and of the need to go to elections as soon as possible," Lapid said. A prime minister who is unable to recruit the votes of his own faction for an important vote is like someone facing political bankruptcy."
Sharon had intended to ask for Knesset approval for his three latest ministerial appointments: Acting Finance Minister Ehud Olmert to the post of Finance Minister; MK Roni Bar-On as Minister of Industry and Trade; and MK Ze'ev Boim as Ministry of Absorption. Both Bar-On and Boim supported Sharon's policy to abandon Gush Katif and northern Samaria, and the appointments were widely viewed as Sharon's way of rewarding them.
For this reason, many Likud "rebels," led by former ministers Binyamin Netanyahu and Uzi Landau, planned to vote against the appointments. The anti-disengagement MKs said that for Sharon to reward his political allies in this manner is a "clear act of buying votes" and "pure political corruption."
Sharon attempted to garner support for the appointments over the last few days, but soon realized it was futile. He announced at the Likud Knesset faction meeting just two hours before the opening of the Knesset session that he was giving up, but only temporarily. "MK Mickey Eitan spoke to me," Sharon said, referring to a respected Likud Knesset Member who supported the expulsion, "and asked me to push off the appointments by a week, during which attempts will be made to try to garner sufficient support. I agreed to his request, but I can tell you that in another week from now, I will present the exact same ministerial package as I was going to present today."
Some of those who said they would vote against the appointments showed no hint of planning to change their minds next week, except for Michael Ratzon, a leader of the Likud anti-expulsion camp. He said, "It depends on what happens in the course of this week, and on various developments such as whether there is movement on construction in the area between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim, [and other issues]..."
MK Roni Bar'on, whose appointment to the Cabinet is in the balance, had sharp words against Ratzon's insinuations. He also said, "I assume that attempts will be made within the Likud to obtain the required support, and if that doesn't work, then attempts will be made outside the Likud."
President Moshe Katzav, addressing the opening session, called for speeding up the process of finding housing, including communal solutions, for the expelled residents of Gush Katif and northern Samaria. He said he believed that the secular public had learned much about the power of faith and vision from the anti-disengagement camp during the past several months, while the anti-expulsion forces had received a lesson in the importance of democracy.
Prime Minister Sharon said, "I am happy to stand before you today at the beginning of this session, though some others in this hall probably are not as happy, and tell you about the government agenda for the coming months."
National Religious Party MK Zevulun Orlev, in response to Prime Minister Sharon’s address, stated that the prime minister has lost the “moral right” to remain in office. Orlev charged that Sharon's words were void of meaningful content and irresponsible, and that it is now apparent to all that the current government has reached the end of its road.
The Knesset voted against the government on some of the four no-confidence motions presented by opposition parties. However, Sharon’s government withstood the onslaught as Knesset law requires 61 votes for a no-confidence motion to bring down a coalition. Sharon's government has often survived collapse by losing no-confidence votes that have passed without an absolute majority.
Motions were put forward by Shas, Shinui, Hadash-Ta’al, Hit’chabrut and National Religious Parties in opposition to government policy in the economic, social and political spheres.
MKs across the political spectrum bemoaned Tuesday’s scheduled price hike for the standard loaf of subsidized bread. The price of both whole and sliced bread will rise.
Labor MK Prof. Yuli Tamir referred to the government as “cruel” for taking such a step, further hurting the already growing number of Israelis living under the poverty level. Tamir added that the Labor Party cannot “roll its eyes towards the sky in an effort to hide from responsibility, being a partner in the coalition government.”
Agudat Israel MK Rabbi Meir Porush called the move an “original gift for Israel’s poor, coinciding with the opening of the Knesset winter session.” The gift Porush explained is “the rise in the price of a basic loaf of bread, apparently part of the prime minister’s self-proclaimed commitment to combat poverty.”
The PM sidestepped another threat to his government by not presenting the Knesset his list of ministerial appointments, as he had planned. Sharon postponed the decision until next week, but stated he will not change the list. Analysts explained that Sharon almost certainly would not have had a majority in the Knesset to approve the list, and that could have forced Sharon into new elections.
Sharon hopes to use the coming week to persuade opponents within the Likud to change their position and support his appointments.
In reaction to the postponement, opposition leader Knesset Member Yosef (Tomy) Lapid of Shinui called for immediate national elections to replace what he characterized as a non-functioning government.
Lapid attacked both the Likud and Labor parties while being heckled for not providing strong opposition to the government.
"The decision on postponement is additional proof of the government's inability to function, and of the need to go to elections as soon as possible," Lapid said. A prime minister who is unable to recruit the votes of his own faction for an important vote is like someone facing political bankruptcy."
Sharon had intended to ask for Knesset approval for his three latest ministerial appointments: Acting Finance Minister Ehud Olmert to the post of Finance Minister; MK Roni Bar-On as Minister of Industry and Trade; and MK Ze'ev Boim as Ministry of Absorption. Both Bar-On and Boim supported Sharon's policy to abandon Gush Katif and northern Samaria, and the appointments were widely viewed as Sharon's way of rewarding them.
For this reason, many Likud "rebels," led by former ministers Binyamin Netanyahu and Uzi Landau, planned to vote against the appointments. The anti-disengagement MKs said that for Sharon to reward his political allies in this manner is a "clear act of buying votes" and "pure political corruption."
Sharon attempted to garner support for the appointments over the last few days, but soon realized it was futile. He announced at the Likud Knesset faction meeting just two hours before the opening of the Knesset session that he was giving up, but only temporarily. "MK Mickey Eitan spoke to me," Sharon said, referring to a respected Likud Knesset Member who supported the expulsion, "and asked me to push off the appointments by a week, during which attempts will be made to try to garner sufficient support. I agreed to his request, but I can tell you that in another week from now, I will present the exact same ministerial package as I was going to present today."
Some of those who said they would vote against the appointments showed no hint of planning to change their minds next week, except for Michael Ratzon, a leader of the Likud anti-expulsion camp. He said, "It depends on what happens in the course of this week, and on various developments such as whether there is movement on construction in the area between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim, [and other issues]..."
MK Roni Bar'on, whose appointment to the Cabinet is in the balance, had sharp words against Ratzon's insinuations. He also said, "I assume that attempts will be made within the Likud to obtain the required support, and if that doesn't work, then attempts will be made outside the Likud."
President Moshe Katzav, addressing the opening session, called for speeding up the process of finding housing, including communal solutions, for the expelled residents of Gush Katif and northern Samaria. He said he believed that the secular public had learned much about the power of faith and vision from the anti-disengagement camp during the past several months, while the anti-expulsion forces had received a lesson in the importance of democracy.
Prime Minister Sharon said, "I am happy to stand before you today at the beginning of this session, though some others in this hall probably are not as happy, and tell you about the government agenda for the coming months."