Ahead of the vote on the reduction of the probable cause scheduled for today (Monday) at noon, President Yitzhak Herzog claims that it is still possible to reach an agreement between the parties, but in the coalition they tend towards a unilateral compromise. At the end of the meeting of the leaders of the opposition, it was decided to confiscate the vote in the third reading. In a short time the summary of the long debate will begin in the Knesset plenum, and at the end of 26 hours the voting phase will begin on the amendment to the law that will reduce the reason for reasonableness.
“We are in a state of national emergency. This is the moment for responsibility,” President Herzog called in a last attempt to reach agreements. “We are working around the clock, in every possible way, to find a solution.” According to him, there is a possible infrastructure for understanding, but there are still gaps that require the various parties to show responsibility. “The citizens of Israel are thirsty for hope and expect responsibility and leadership. During this lockdown, I call on elected officials to act with courage, and reach out with the goal of reaching understanding.”
The Otzma Yehudit party makes it clear that they oppose the compromise. “We do not have a mandate to make “softenings” of the legislation, which in fact have the same purpose: to sterilize it and make it devoid of any real effect,” said the party. “Certainly we do not have a mandate to commit to postponing the continuation of the reform. The one who runs the State of Israel is the Israeli government – not Shakma Bresler or Ehud Barak. The legislation must be passed as it is and after that move on.”
The Prime Minister, who was released earlier from Sheba Hospital, is holding talks from the Prime Minister’s Office with the relevant authorities. The coalition says that if, as appears to be the case, they do not reach an agreement with the opposition, they will decide on a unilateral compromise that will include passing the wording of reasonableness and accepting the reservation that it will not apply in a transitional government, along with freezing the legislation for four months. That is, until the end of the next winter conference.
At a charged meeting of the opposition leaders, the leaders of the parties demanded answers from Lapid about the talks for a compromise, but received no answers. The chairman of the Israel Beitenu party, MK Avigdor Lieberman, wrote on his Twitter account that he “welcomes the joint decision of the members of the opposition to support my proposal, and to boycott the vote on the law to abolish the probable cause in the third reading in the Knesset plenum.”
At the same time as the attempts at reconciliation inside the Mishkan, outside it the roads leading to the Knesset were blocked following the demonstrations of the opponents of the reform. The police are trying to disperse them with Makhtaza women, horsemen and police officers. Members of the Knesset are led through a back entrance and accompanied by police vehicles.
The police announce that the streets blocked to traffic are Kaplan, Rupin, Zusman and Gaza. Additional streets/sections of streets in the area may be blocked, and there may also be traffic congestion in the nearby streets. Many police officers are securing the protests, so far 6 rioters have been arrested.
The Israel Police stated: “The protesting public is asked to demonstrate according to the law, to obey the police officers’ instructions and to refrain from violating public order, vandalism and violence of any kind. Any attempt to violate the order and act in violation of the law will be dealt with accordingly. The driving public is asked to obey the instructions of the police officers, to avoid arriving with vehicles as much as possible For the roads that are blocked at the mentioned times, use the navigation apps and use alternative ways.”
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