Israel Matzav

Plesner Committee to fall apart unless Israeli Arabs are included?

"This decision goes against my instructions," Netanyahu was quoted as saying. "This committee is starting to wear out its welcome."

The prime minister is considering drafting his own recommendations instead of the committee's recommendations. He will meet with Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz Friday in an attempt to settle their differences.

Both Yisrael Beytenu and Habayit Hayehudi quit the Keshev Committee on Thursday following its decision on the Arab sector. Yisrael Beytenu said its MKs would bring to a vote before the Knesset a bill submitted by the party "in which all sectors of the nation share the burden of national service."

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Sources in United Torah Judaism also complained about the decision not to make Arab service compulsory, saying that the equality in the share of the military burden required by the Supreme Court cannot mean only for haredim.

"If it's equality they want then it has to be equality for all," a UTJ source said. "How can you have financial sanctions against the haredim but other sectors of the population get off free?"

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Kadima MK Shlomo Molla said he and many other legislators in his party believe that Arabs should be required to do national service. He warned that if the Keshev Committee does not equalize the burden of service, part of Kadima could end up leaving the coalition and the party.

"I expect Mofaz to stick to Kadima's values and not compromise," Molla said. "This entire process proves we should not have entered this government in the first place. Had we gone to an election, we might have been able to regain our footing, but now it will be much harder for Kadima to survive."

If MKs leave Kadima, they could form a new party together with former Kadima leader Tzipi Livni. In an interview last week, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid left open the possibility of Livni running with his party in the next election.

Labels: Haredim, IDF, Israeli Arab

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:57 AM