‘Suspension bill’ to get Knesset vote, despite lack of majority

A controversial bill that would allow a vote by 90 MKs to suspend a fellow lawmaker for “unseemly behavior” will be presented to the Knesset plenum this evening for voting, despite the fact that the coalition has not mustered the necessary support to pass it.

The legislation was drafted followed a meeting early last month between Arab MKs from the Joint List faction and families of Palestinian terrorists killed while carrying out attacks on Israelis.

Channel 2 says the bill has the backing of 59 MKs — two short of the majority required in the 120-seat parliament. Likud MKs David Amsalem and Abraham Naguise have already announced they will not support the bill.

According to Channel 2, coalition hopes lie with winning over hawkish opposition MK Avigdor Liberman and his Yisrael Beytenu party. PM Netanyahu believes that Liberman would not want to be seen as the one to “save” the Arab MKs, and is gambling on that fact to win the party leader’s backing, despite his declaration that he will not vote for the bill.