Israel Beiteinu fumes at Rivlin for delaying vote on Arab MK

Such decisions "increases the growing anger of the Zionist people of Israel toward their elected officials," writes faction chairman Robert Ilatov.

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
Israel Beiteinu cried foul Monday after Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin hinted that a crucial vote to approve stripping Balad MK Haneen Zoabi’s parliamentary privileges would be indefinitely delayed.
Israel Beiteinu submitted an official letter to Rivlin, in which it reminded him that the decision to strip Zoabi of selected privileges had passed the House Committee by a vote of 7-1 “following an open and inclusive public debate.”
The committee’s vote cannot be put into effect until the plenum approves the committee’s decision.
Although the committee’s decision was expected to pass the plenumeasily with the support of the majority of MKs, Rivlin disappointedHouse Committee chairman Yariv Levin (Likud) by refusing to bring thedecision before the plenum for a vote in the same week.
“With all due respect, the failure to place such an important decisionfor a vote in the plenum causes disrespect to the Knesset in thepublic’s eyes, and increases the growing anger of the Zionist people ofIsrael toward their elected officials,” wrote Israel Beiteinu factionchairman Robert Ilatov.
Rivlin announced on Monday that “it has yet to be decided when theHouse Committee’s decision on Zoabi will be brought before the plenum.The subject is still on my table, and after consultation with thegovernment, it will not be included in the Knesset hearings this week.”
Rivlin added that with the high levels of emotion on the subject amongboth Jews and Arabs, and in light of the attorney-general’s having saidthat the matter was still being probed, the decision had been made todelay the plenum vote.
Following Israel Beiteinu’s letter, Rivlin responded in a letter toLevin that “I did not randomly make the decision to delay the vote, norwas it made as a result of my personal views regarding the necessity ofthe process, but rather through consultation with senior governmentofficials who are responsible for Israel’s foreign relations and fordefending Israel’s most crucial interests overseas.”
Rivlin added that “the implications of the vote on Israel’sinternational standing are dramatic and far-reaching. There is noargument that such a process would place Israel under a diplomaticattack, would create heavy pressure against Israel from the UnitedNations as well as Israel’s friends, and would play into the hands ofIsrael’s enemies.”


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