From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Labor joins motion for Knesset to cancel spring recess
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"
The Labor Party joins Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman’s initiative to cancel the Knesset’s spring recess.
Labor faction chair Efrat Rayten joins a letter sent by representatives of Yisrael Beytenu, Yesh Atid and National Unity to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana requesting lawmakers continue their legislative activities over the break, which runs from April 7 to May 19.
“Ever since the October 7 massacre, Israel has found itself at war and it is wrong that the Israeli Knesset should choose to go into recess, shutting down its activities and not carrying out its work for the citizens,” they write.
The lawmakers state that they are acting on behalf of Israel’s soldiers, internally displaced persons and other groups affected by the ongoing fighting and that “it is incumbent on us, the public’s representatives, not to stop taking care of the citizens of Israel’s problems at normal times and all the more so in a time of war.”
Speaking at his party’s faction meeting in the Knesset on Monday, Liberman argued that it was “unacceptable” for the Knesset to go on recess during the ongoing current national security crisis.
The Times of Israel Community.