A few hours after Shas voted in favor of the appointment of MK Avishay Braverman (Labor) as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, came the price for their support - the immediate tabling of a bill that will exempt yeshiva students from the core curriculum. The Knesset usually discusses preliminary bills only on Wednesdays, but the latest bill is set to be approved by the house for both the second and third readings.
The move has been described by some in the Knesset as underhand. The bill was supposed to be introduced next Monday, but many MKs are in the house on that day of the week, which is when no-confidence votes are held, so the chance of it being passed was slim. On Wednesday, on the other hand, the Knesset empties fairly early on, and the coalition will have a much better chance of getting the bill passed.
According to coalition sources, two days after voting with the opposition in a no confidence vote, nothing could satisfy Shas MKs, who even went as far as threatening a coalition crisis over the appointment of Braverman, which they opposed. "There's been a deal here, there's no other way of looking at it, that's the price Shas has exacted," said a source.
A spokesman for Shas said in response that the two matters were unrelated. "Since the law concerns educational institutions, and we are on the threshold of the new school year, it is essential that the bill goes forward now," he said. The spokesman added that bringing the bill forward by a few days was designed to enable the law to reach the statute book before the new school year begins.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 23, 2008
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2008