This past Monday (29 Adar I), Likud placed a proposal of no-
confidence in the prime minister on the Knesset table due to
the decision of Education Minister Yossi Sarid to incorporate
the poems of the Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish into the
curriculum of the state schools, at the same time dropping
traditional Jewish sources expressing their love for and
commitment to Eretz Yisroel.
At the meeting of the Likud on this issue, all of its members
sharply criticized Minister Sarid for his decision. The
chairman of the party, MK Reuven Rivlin, said that Minister
Sarid is transforming the Education Ministry into a
"Bolshevik office."
Throughout the meeting, a number of Knesset members said that
they were sorry that the Likud had given away the important
position of Education Minister when it had established
governments in the past, and said that when the Likud regains
control of the government it will keep the Education
portfolio in its hands.
The Shas and Mafdal Knesset members announced that if a no-
confidence proposal was presented on this issue, they would
probably vote against the government and along with the
opposition. They are allowed to vote their conscience in
matters of this sort, and Sarid has been particularly harsh
on Shas since he took over the Education Ministry.
Coalition chairman MK Ofir Pines said that efforts are being
made to mend the rift in the coalition, and that he hopes
that by the date of the deliberation and the no-confidence
vote the disputes with Shas will be solved, and that none of
the parties in the coalition would support the no-confidence
motion.
Alongside this, he noted that on Wednesday (1 Adar II) a
number of proposals are expected to be raised which will
upset the religious parties of the coalition. They will be
raised in reaction to the Shas and Mafdal vote against the
government's wishes in respect to the national referendum
bill presented by the Likud last week.
The no-confidence proposal will be raised on Monday (6 Adar
II) in the Knesset. The Likud's reasons for proposing it will
be explained by MK Uzi Landau.
