The Knesset is not yet finished with the disengagement plan.
Though based on appearances the opponents of the plan have no
further recourse other than to do a lot of shouting
throughout the summer sitting which began this week, in fact
they do have one last hope of throwing a wrench in the works:
the Knesset Finance Committee.
During the course of the summer session the Finance Committee
will receive various requests for funding needed to carry out
the disengagement. The Likud Rebels and other right-wing
opponents to disengagement are hoping to paralyze the
Committee, preventing it from passing any funding for
disengagement. And as every child knows, without money
nothing can get done.
Last week we were witness to an example of this when the
government brought for approval before the Finance Committee
a sum of NIS 112 million for the disengagement plan, but due
to opposition by the Likud Rebels, at first a majority could
not be rallied to pass the request. The vote was postponed by
a day and only after a deal was made to provide funding for
construction in the Arab sector did Ahmad Tibi, who was
filling in for Mohammed Bracha, agree to support the
government's funding request.
How many times can the government be expected to endure these
kinds of deals with Arab MKs? How much can they dole out for
every vote on the disengagement plan? This is no way to run a
government. Tibi has already made it clear there's no such
thing as a free lunch: no money, no vote.
What happened last week is just a taste of things to come.
And all because Finance Committee members in need of an ego
boost are slated to be appointed as deputy ministers, as we
will explain.
The Likud has seven members sitting on the Finance Committee.
Until a few months ago three of them—Hirschson, who
served as committee chairman, Avraham and Aflalo—were
loyal Sharon supporters who backed the disengagement plan,
while the other four were Likud Rebels. Following Hirschson's
appointment as Minister of Tourism, Michael Gorolovsky
stepped in and the balance of power became four to two. This
situation led to difficulties in passing the budget and
government requests in the Finance Committee until the
coalition was forced to constantly seek the votes of
opposition MKs from Shinui and Meretz, and sometimes it even
had to get votes from Arab parties in order to secure a
majority as we noted above.
In the coming session the Likud's seats on the Finance
Committee are going to change again. MKs Avraham and Aflalo
have been appointed deputy ministers, and although according
to regulations a deputy minister may remain a member of the
committee, they will be forced to vacate their seats because
Aflalo has been appointed deputy minister of Trade and
Industry. Thus it would constitute a conflict of interests
were he to remain on the committee. Neither will Avraham be
able to stay.
Of course the Likud Rebels have their eyes set on the two
vacant spots on the committee. That Gilad Arden, one of the
heads of the Likud Rebels, joined the committee on Monday.
Michael Ratzon, another of the Likud Rebels, will man the
second available spot.
As a result the Likud Rebels, together with MKs from HaIchud
HaLeumi and the NRP, will constitute a majority of Finance
Committee members. At that point an Arab MK will no longer be
able to come to the aid of the government. Instead the
Finance Committee will be totally paralyzed and the
government will be unable to get any funding for
disengagement. This is the Likud Rebel's final hope of
derailing the disengagement plan.
Likud Rebels grabbed the spots on the Finance Committee for
two reasons. First, all Likud members who have not rebelled
have already been appointed or are slated to be appointed
minister or deputy minister. Only two MKs from the Sharon
camp still remain rank- and-file MKs: Omri Sharon and I.
Gavriely: the former because he is the Prime Minister's son
and the latter because she is unsuited for the job.
Second, because membership in the committees is not
determined by the Prime Minister, who is also the party head,
but by the party chairman in the Knesset, in this case Gidon
Saar, who is a longstanding, known opponent to the
disengagement plan and who would not hesitate to exercise his
power and authority in an attempt to harm the plan.
Chaim Oron (Meretz), a veteran on the Finance Committee,
realized what would be taking place and last week called on
the government to bring before the committee as many requests
as possible for disengagement-related funding. He knew that
once the new committee members step in every funding request
will turn into a world war and only dubious deals will be
able to save the day.
