Israel Matzav

What could 'kill peace'

Zany Zehava Gal-On of Meretz knows exactly what could 'kill peace': Asking the people of Israel to vote whether they actually want it on the terms being agreed to by Tzipi Livni. A bill to remind us that the government promised to do just that is making its way through the Knesset.

The legislation in question essentially turns the existing Referendum Law into a Basic Law, meaning that is meant to eventually become part of the constitution. It also adds a clause making the day of the referendum a vacation day.

The Referendum Law requires any treaty conceding sovereign land to be brought to the Knesset. If over 80 MKs approve, the deal can be implemented. If 61 to 80 MKs approve, it will be brought to a referendum. If less than half of all MKs approve, the treaty will be rejected.

The legislation does not apply to a treaty conceding parts of the West Bank, but it does apply to east Jerusalem, the Golan and anything within the 1949 armistice lines.

A joint panel of the Knesset House Committee and Law, Constitution and Justice Committee approved the proposal and rejected any changes to it. The bill is expected to go to a final vote in the plenum in the second week of March, as part of a coalition legislative package including haredi enlistment and electoral reform bills. Levin explained that the new bill is a technical change that was part of coalition agreements. 

...

In an earlier joint committee meeting on the bill, Levin said reinforcing the Referendum Law as a Basic Law is meant to to defend it from petitions to the Supreme Court. Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On, however, said the bill undermines peace and the Knesset.

"The Knesset must preserve its dignity and its status, not only in decisions on the budget but also in important diplomatic matters," Gal-On said.

"The referendum bill that [Finance Minister Yair] Lapid and [Economy Minister Naftali] Bennett are trying to promote will change the rules of the game and move the responsibility from the legislature to the nation. This will harm the Knesset and its authority in a representative democracy."

According to Gal-On, "anyone who is trying to promote a referendum wants to sabotage a peace agreement."

Sabotage? Errr.... no.... Both the treaties with Jordan and Egypt got more than 80 MK's. What this legislation is aimed to do is to ensure that we aren't sold out for red Mitsubishi's again.

Labels: Israeli Knesset, Middle East peace process, referendum law, two-state solution, Tzipi Livni, Zehava Gal-On

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:12 PM