Without their support, the government would not be able to pass the bill, which must be reapproved by the end of June.
Rebel MKs Idit Silman (Yamina), Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz) and Mazen Ghanaim (Ra’am – United Arab List) said on Monday that they would vote against a directive giving Israel legal jurisdiction over Israelis living in the West Bank, which has been approved every five years since 1967.
Without their support, it would not be able to pass the bill, which must be reapproved by the end of June.
Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar told his New Hope faction on Monday that not passing the bill would cause chaos. He said that by opposing the bill, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu was harming residents of Judea and Samaria and advancing his own personal interests at the expense of the state.
“All coalition members must support the government’s bill,” Sa’ar said. “Any coalition member who does not support such a fundamental bill is actively working to dismantle the coalition. Being in the coalition does not only mean receiving. There is also responsibility. Whoever does not support it cannot wash their hands claiming innocence. A country cannot be run this way.”
Netanyahu harming West Bank? Not a surprise
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman said no one should be surprised by Netanyahu preventing a bill from passing that would prevent West Bank chaos.
“He has harmed Judea and Samaria more than anyone else,” Liberman said. “That is tradition with Netanyahu. That is part of his DNA.” Liberman recalled Netanyahu as prime minister implemented the Hebron and Wye accords, voted for the Gaza Strip disengagement, froze West Bank construction in 2009 and released Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gilat Schalit prisoner exchange. “For power, anything is permitted for him,” Liberman said. “There is no conscience.”
“For power, anything is permitted for him. There is no conscience.”
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman
Labor leader Merav Michaeli warned rebels on the Left not to let Netanyahu come back to power, along with Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir as a minister.