From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 5, 2024
Bills backed by Shas and Otzma Yehudit removed from Knesset agenda amid infighting
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Four controversial bills backed by the Shas and Otzma Yehudit parties are removed from the Knesset agenda as a result of infighting between the two coalition partners.
The decision to postpone votes on the bills during today’s special plenum session — which is being held during the Knesset’s summer recess — comes after Otzma Yehudit chief National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to block a key piece of Shas-backed legislation until he is given greater say over the running of the war in Gaza.
“We stand by the demand to include the national security minister in the limited forum [making war-related decisions], and until [Shas chief Aryeh] Deri removes his objection to adding Minister Ben Gvir to the limited forum and the prime minister allows it, the Rabbis Law will not pass,” Otzma Yehudit says in a statement blaming the ultra-Orthodox party for limiting Ben Gvir’s influence.
The ultranationalist party also claims that Shas and associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to torpedo three of Otzma Yehudit’s bills unless it supports the Rabbis Law, which seeks to grant the religious services minister the power to allocate additional funds to local religious councils around the country.
Otzma Yehudit’s bills would permit the imprisonment of children under the age of 14 on terror charges; lower the minimum age at which restrictions can be imposed on a sex offender to 14; and allow district court judges to impose restrictions on citizens’ freedom of movement and expression on the basis of secret evidence.
All three were taken off the agenda alongside the Rabbis Law.
Late last month, several days before the beginning of the Knesset recess, a vote on the Shas bill was postponed due to the parties’ spat. It was the second delay in less than a month, following a previous incident in which Ben Gvir’s opposition led to a walkout by Shas lawmakers.
The bill was dropped again on the last day of the legislation session in the wake of a rocket attack that killed 12 children in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams — but was again placed on the agenda as part of a special plenum session being held today.
Neither Shas nor Otzma Yehudit have commented on the delay of their bills.
