Hauser to introduce bill to initiate referendum on sovereignty
Finance minister: Danger of election has passed
By GIL HOFFMANSigns abour annexation with pictures of US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are displayed in Israel(photo credit: COURTESY YESHA COUNCIL)
Israel will not be able to relinquish settlements in Judea and Samaria without a referendum of the population, according to a new bill proposed by the head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz), Hauser announced on Saturday night.Hauser intends to bring the bill to the Knesset House Committee this week, in order to receive permission to expedite the legislation. His goal is to make it harder for future governments in Israel and the United States to advance Israeli concessions, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to suspend efforts to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria as part of the agreement with the United Arab Emirates.“If sovereignty is on hold, this bill can be insurance for Judea and Samaria,” a spokeswoman for Hauser said. “ Our window of opportunity is closing. We don’t know how long [US President Donald] Trump will remain in power, and [presumptive Democratic candidate Joe] Biden won’t let sovereignty happen.”Current Israeli law requires a referendum over relinquishing land in pre-1967 Israel, anywhere in Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights.The bill would require a referendum for130 settlements that were formed by the government but not for unauthorized outposts.Hauser said all the parties in the coalition back his bill and that the platform of Blue and White in all three of its elections called for such a referendum. He said he did not believe there would be a fight in the coalition over the bill.In an effort to resolve the coalition crisis, Likud and Blue and White negotiating teams are expected to meet on Sunday after reporting more progress over the weekend. They are trying to reach an agreement on how to make key appointments and what type of state budget to pass.Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn, who heads Blue and White’s negotiating team, was quoted saying over the weekend that he would not let Netanyahu interfere in key appointments.Public Security Minister Amir Ohana has said he would appoint a new police inspector-general this week. But the matter has been complicated by a dispute between Netanyahu and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit over what constitutes a conflict of interest for Netanyahu, who has three criminal indictments.Finance Minister Israel Katz (Likud) told Channel 12’s Meet the Press program on Saturday night that an agreement would be reached by the August 24 deadline to avoid an election that would be initiated automatically if no budget is passed by that night.“The danger of elections has passed,” Katz said. “It is now only a matter of summaries and drafts.”
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