The Knesset House Committee has approved the nomination of MK Avishai Braverman (Labor) as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee.
After a protracted delay lasting several months, today the coalition finally secured a majority for the appointment, with 16 MKs voting in favor, five opposing it, and two abstentions. The Labor and Kadima MKs on the committee were joined by opposition members from the Arab parties and Meretz who had guaranteed their support. Also voting in favor of Braverman's nomination were Likud MKs, after parliamentary party chairman Gideon Sa'ar proposed that his party, which previously opposed the appointment, should support it and bring to an end the embarrassing spectacle of the last few months.
However, the appointment of Braverman as Finance Committee chair, is subject to the approval of the Finance Committee members themselves, which could still vote it down, although for now there appears to be a majority in favor. No date has as yet been set for a session to approve the nomination, although this is likely to be held in the coming days.
The Knesset House Committee had convened to consider the appointment after a delay of several weeks. After it emerged that there was a majority in favor of the appointment, some of the committee's members asked for a second ballot, in the afternoon.
Braverman's nomination as Finance Committee chairman was carried by a majority of 12 to 8 with five abstentions. Among those who voted in favor were Arab MKs Ahmad Tibi and Muhammad Barakeh, although they also voted in favor of the second ballot later today.
Shas parliamentary party members have made it repeatedly clear that they would oppose Braverman's nomination without either an increase in child benefits, a deputy ministerial position, or the chairmanship of another Knesset committee in return. Shas chairman MK Yakov Margi said before this morning's vote, that he did not understand why the coalition was in such a rush to commit parliamentary suicide. "There isn't any balance between committees, and there's no coalition rationale here," he said.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 21, 2008
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