House Committee to Discuss Bills for Dispersal of Knesset

The House Committee, chaired by MK Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White), ruled on Monday that it will discuss the two separate bills for the dispersal of the 23rd Knesset and holding early elections. The bills, sponsored by MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid-Telem)​, MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) and a group of other lawmakers, passed their preliminary readings in the Knesset plenum last week.

The decision to hold the deliberations on the bill in the House Committee passed by a vote of 10-0, with one abstention. Committee members from Likud, Shas and United Torah Judaism did not take part in the vote.

MK Miki Zohar (Likud) said, “You, MK Eitan Ginzburg of Blue and White, are the head of the committee, and you will be dispersing the Knesset with your own hands.”

Ginzburg said in response: “And this says the person who submitted a bill for the Knesset’s dispersal 40 days after it was established.”

Zohar replied, “It’s not too late. You can still change your attitude. This is an unnecessary election campaign, in the midst of the corona crisis. Elections at this time would endanger the health of the citizens of Israel. You are endangering the health of the citizens of Israel only to hurt [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu.”

Ginzburg said, “Blue and White does not have to prove anything. We worked to implement the [coalition] agreement and pass a budget, while you are acting out of political and personal motives. You want to push the elections to July.”

MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid-Telem) said, “We knew it wouldn’t work. I wish the elections were not inevitable, as they are now. Even a bloated government of 36 ministers cannot manage the corona crisis properly. This culture, of not respecting agreements and lying, is already seeping into the public.”

MK Osnat Hila Mark (Likud) said, “We understand that Blue and White entered the coalition only to exercise the rotation clause. You ran away from votes. You sent us messages telling us that Likud will manage on its own. You entered this agreement without integrity. You are plunging the country into an abyss.”