"The Knesset is adjourned and recessed," announced Dan
Tichon, dramatically, as he closed the 14th Knesset without
its having approved a current budget.
Both the budget and the accompanying law known as the
"arrangements law" for lack of a better title, may be
approved on Tuesday or later in the week, as Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu conducted intensive meetings with
coalition members late Monday night in an attempt to enable
the laws to be put to a vote as soon as possible.
Despite the recess, the Knesset will vote Tuesday on election
laws held over from the previous session, and the Prime
Minister wants to have the budget approved as well. It is
expected that there will be further sessions of the Knesset
on an as-needed basis.
The budget was approved by the Knesset Finance Committee
after new coalition demands were raised. The demands were
raised after the committee had already approved the economic
arrangements bill, and were thus presented as reservations to
the budget.
United Torah Judaism's Rabbi Avrohom Lazerson wanted 500
rental apartments for yeshiva students and the cancellation
of tax benefits for those who violate the labor laws by
working on Shabbos. Today, even one who works on Shabbos
without a proper permit and thus violates the law may benefit
from financial incentives in paying tax on those ill-gotten
gains. Land of Israel Front leader Michael Kleiner and Benny
Elon (Moledet) demanded the legalization of Arutz 7, the
settlers' hitherto pirate radio station that operates from
outside of Israel's territorial waters.
The opposition argued that the subjects were new and could
not be attached to the budget legislation but should be
brought for a first reading. The House Committee then held a
vote, and -- by a majority of one -- approved the
reservations. The result was a breakdown in the process: the
opposition suspended its agreements with the coalition on the
voting on the budget and economic arrangements bill.
While the Finance Committee passed the 47-clause arrangements
bill by mid-afternoon, it needed to pass the budget bill
before forwarding both bills to the plenum.
Some MKs say that the only solution is to continue operating
according to last year's budget until the May elections.
Speaker Dan Tichon had prepared a formal speech to cap off
his 19 years in the Knesset, the last three as Speaker. He
was planning to deliver it between the second and third
readings of the budget law, when the Knesset would have been
full, but he was frustrated by the way things worked out.
Also the Knesset plenum approved on its first reading a very
dangerous law proposed by Yael Dayan of Labor which, if
passed, will grant equality to women in all areas. According
to this proposed law, civil marriages and halachically
forbidden marriages will be permitted, and many other issues
which undermine religion will also be sanctioned.
The proposal was accepted by a vote of 34 to 22 opposed. The
law was supported by opposition Knesset members from Meretz,
Labor and the Arab factions, as well as by the MKs of Gesher.
Two Knesset members from them new centrist party (Merom and
Magen) also supported the proposed law. The members of the
coalition opposed it.
According to the proposed law, there will be total equality
for all women in all areas. This means that even those who
are disqualified for regular Jewish marriages will be
permitted to marry, that civil marriage will be permitted,
and that women must be accepted for all forms of employment,
including rabbinical positions and dayanus. All of the
restrictions on abortions would be lifted, and other issues
currently protected by the law will be undermined.
The Attorney General warned that the legalization of Arutz 7,
the radio station, in this way will not likely withstand a
court challenge. As a result, the Prime Minister withdrew his
support and promised to prepare a separate law to be
submitted before the elections. The NRP accepted this
proposal, but Kleiner and Elon did not.
