Israel Matzav

Likud ministers want to annex Jordan Valley

A bill to annex the Jordan Valley is supported by all the Likud ministers other than Prime Minister Netanyahu, and may be brought before the Ministerial Legislation Committee where it is expected to pass. But....

If Regev’s bill becomes law, Netanyahu would be unable to accept the American offer to put the Jordan Valley and border crossings into Jordan under Palestinian control, with IDF soldiers posted at the border and the US providing additional security.

According to Regev’s office, all Likud ministers other than Netanyahu support the bill and it has enough votes to be authorized by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

However, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is leading negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, is the chairwoman of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. She is likely to try to block the bill, either by not bringing it to a vote or submitting an appeal if it is approved.

Still, Likud ministers could push the legislation forward and demand that it be brought to a general ministerial vote.

Please let me remind you all what happened on Wednesday with a bill that would have required 80 MK's to approve negotiations over our 'undivided capital' (legally annexed since 1981). Although the bill had passed the Minister Legislation Committee twice (over Livni's objections), it failed to pass a first reading in the Knesset with only one coalition MK (Feiglin) voting in favor. Does anyone really believe that a bill to annex the Jordan Valley is going to do any better?

Labels: annexation, Binyamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem, Jordan Valley, Likud party, Miri Regev, Tzipi Livni

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:55 PM