Knesset Law Committee Fails To Pass Evacuation Legislation Likudniks Team Up With Arab MK To Block Government Bill Analyst David Essing: ‘Although Embarrassing For Sharon, PM Can Act To Overcome Setback’
The vote in the Knesset Law Committee was a tie; eight-all on legislation needed to implement Sharon’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements by the end of 2005. Reporter David Essing says there was more than one big surprise in the tie vote: Likud hard-liners have vowed to fight Sharon’s withdrawal every step of the way. In the Knesset Law committee Arab Knesset Member Azmi Bishara, who surprisingly abstained in the vote to get Israeli settlers out of Gaza, joined them in defeating the bill.
The tie vote means the bill, which sets up the legislative mechanics for implementing next summer’s withdrawal, was not approved. Some MKs from the Prime Minister’s own Likud party torpedoed it by voting against. The Likud caucus has previously decided to grant a ‘freedom of vote’ to its Knesset Members and they did just; and there was more than one big surprise. Likud caucus whip Gideon Saar voted against his own government’s legislation! Saar later said he has consistently voted against Sharon’s disengagement and it was a matter of conscience and loyalty to Likud voters who also reject the withdrawal.Arab Knesset member Azmi Bishara dropped the other political bombshell by ultimately defeating the bill by abstaining in the vote. Bishara was thought to have been gung-ho for legislation to evacuate Israeli settlers. However, when later asked to explain how come he abstained, Bishara retorted: ‘why are you asking me? Ask the Likud MKs who voted against the bill.’In the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ atmosphere of the current Knesset, Labor peacenik Yuli Tamir lambasted Saar for not supporting his party’s own leader and Prime Minister. The Labor hard-liner called on the Likud to fire Saar as Likud whip or at least replace him on the committee.Today’s vote was for the second and third final readings of the bill; its defeat will force Sharon to go back to the drawing board. The Prime Minister can be expected to find a solution to overcome what appears to be a temporary roadblock and to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Although dealing Sharon an embarrassing blow, the Likud opponents’ triumph will likely turn into a pyrrhic victory.