Likud ministers and lawmakers are trying to limit Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s freedom in peace talks, with MK Miri Regev submitting a bill on Thursday to annex the Jordan Valley.
If Regev’s bill becomes law, Netanyahu would be unable to accept the American offer to put the Jordan Valley and border crossings into Jordan under Palestinian control, with IDF soldiers posted at the border and the US providing additional security.
According to Regev’s office, all Likud ministers other than Netanyahu support the bill and it has enough votes to be authorized by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
However, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is leading negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, is the chairwoman of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. She is likely to try to block the bill, either by not bringing it to a vote or submitting an appeal if it is approved.
Still, Likud ministers could push the legislation forward and demand that it be brought to a general ministerial vote.
These past 3 years the Republicans have had a Congressional majority, many bills were passed, only to have them die when Harry Reid Senate majority leader refused to even bring them before the Senate for discussion either on his own initiative or on Obama’s marching orders that if passed by the Senate, he would veto same.
It has been an learning experience that with the American political system becoming so partisan under Obama who refuses to negotiate anything he disagrees with unless circumstances force him to do so, that the Democrat held Senate can so easily frustrate Congress’s efforts.
Norman F suggests that Netanyahu can similarly frustrate the will of the Knesset by his party absenting a vote on a bill to be presented that he disagrees with.
Can those knowledgeable on Israeli politics and its system comment on Norman F’s assertion.
Norman. Please expand
If Likud does that what is alternative?
Netanyahu will cynically instruct his coalition to absent themselves from the vote.
And just like with the Jerusalem Bill… the only coalition MK to vote for it will be Moshe Feiglin.
Its meant to embarrass the government, which is why it will go exactly nowhere.