Netanyahu ‘determined’ to pass ‘Jewish State’ bill

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday afternoon that he was determined to pass the controversial “Jewish State” bill, even if he does not have the backing of his entire cabinet.

“It is important to exhaust the channels of dialogue, and I am ready to give this dialogue a chance,” he said during the weekly Likud faction meeting. “I am determined to pass this bill with or without agreement. It is very important for securing the future of the nation of Israel, in the Land of Israel, in the State of Israel.

“The principles that I am advancing give expression to Israel being the national Jewish state and only that, while protecting rights. Time will tell if elections are in the offing.”

The controversial proposal would enshrine in law Israel’s identity as a Jewish state.

Coalition leaders decided on Monday to delay a vote on the bill by one week, as ministers vowed to continue to oppose the measure even if it meant their jobs — and the future of the coalition.

Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov initially proposed the week-delay, which was backed by the Jewish Home party at a meeting of the coalition partners.

The decision came just hours after Justice Minister Tzipi Livni reiterated her intention to fight the bill, and challenged the prime minister to decide whether he was willing to break up his coalition over the bill.

“This bill will not pass because we are not ready and I am not prepared to be a fig leaf for something so problematic,” Livni told Ynet on Monday. “And if it goes [to a vote, as had originally been scheduled] on Wednesday, I will not let it pass and will not compromise regarding its wording.

“The prime minister will have to decide whether he will fire ministers in his government and topple his coalition over their opposition to a law that goes against a Jewish and democratic Israel,” she said. “If he wants elections over this, no problem.”

On Sunday, cabinet ministers approved a raft of clauses that the bill will be based on. While guaranteeing Israel’s democratic character, the bill, a softened version of earlier proposals, would reserve the right of national determination within the country to Jews alone.

Livni, the head of the Hatnua party, was one of six ministers who opposed the measure, along with Yesh Atid’s five cabinet members.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor) called once again on Monday for Livni and Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who heads Yesh Atid, to bolt the coalition.

“There is nothing left for them to do there; it is a government that does nothing but light fires,” he said, calling on “all of the sane and central officials to form a large [political] bloc headed by the Labor Party.”

“We see the government collapsing,” he added.

On Sunday night, Livni was joined by Lapid in stressing that under no circumstances would they — or members of their parties — vote in favor of the law in its current form, despite the possibility that they could be fired by Netanyahu.

For his part, Netanyahu is not necessarily looking to force elections, but he is not afraid of them if it means reasserting his control over the government, according to sources close to the prime minister.

“Netanyahu is tired of his partners trying to control him and causing a crisis over every piece of legislation,” one source told Army Radio. “The government can only work if the partners stop trying to bring it down on a regular basis.”

On Sunday, the prime minister pushed through the legislation, which would enshrine Israel’s character as a Jewish state in the country’s Basic Laws, which act as a de facto constitution. If passed into law, the measure would reserve what Netanyahu called “national rights,” such as the flag and anthem and right to immigrate, for Jews alone. It would also undergird Israel’s democratic nature by vouchsafing equality for all its citizens.

Livni has, on multiple occasions, accused Netanyahu of using the bill as a political maneuver to break apart his coalition and jockey for position ahead of possible early elections. She also characterized the attempt as a missed opportunity to advance legislation toward the establishment of a proper constitution for the State of Israel.

Spencer Ho contributed to this report.