MK Moshe Gafni: "Rabbi Steinman ruled for us: It is forbidden to sit together with Lapid""

August 13, 2014   

The Finance Committee returned this morning to discuss the Ministry of Finance's 'zero VAT' bill. This is the second debate held during the Knesset recess, in an attempt to conclude the votes on the sections of the law and approve them ahead of a second and third vote in the Knesset. Yesterday, the committee was supposed to discuss the bill starting in the morning, but in the end, the debate only began at 4:00 PM and lasted until 6:00 PM, with the Haredi MKs stalling and not allowing votes on the law that discriminates against the Haredi and Arab public to move forward. This morning, the Ministry of Finance continues to concentrate efforts to advance the passage of the law, with the Prime Minister also joining the task. However, the Haredi MKs, as well as the Arab MKs and Labor members on the committee, are not moved and continue to stubbornly oppose and take advantage of every parliamentary maneuver to delay the approval of the law. The Ministry of Finance is frustrated that among the committee members are those who previously served as chairmen of the Finance Committee - Gafni and Litzman. Indeed, they know very well how to delay and to withdraw the discussions. For example, the committee members claimed that discussion of new sections included in the updated version distributed by the Finance Committee are new issues that were brought before the committee and therefore cannot be discussed. The committee members subsequently continued to argue that the entire proposed law should be considered a new law and therefore cannot be discussed without convening a Knesset committee. Immediately afterwards, they postponed the discussion again, claiming that a factional consultation should be held, and then the committee went into recess. It seems that for now, the committee will not vote on the bill today, and the continuation of the discussions will be scheduled for the remainder of the recess, most likely in September. In the background, there are also threats from Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, not to support the law, unless he receives a written commitment that new immigrants who did not enlist in the IDF will also be included in the program. During the recess, we spoke with MK Moshe Gafni. Could it be that if you had entered the government as Netanyahu proposed (or did not propose), this entire saga would have been avoided? Gafni: "We, as people of faith, who listen to Torah luminaries, and who have Torah knowledge, do not calculate what would have happened if... and we are forbidden to sit in one government, at one table, in one coalition, with Yair Lapid!"" Was this the instruction that Rabbi Steinman gave you? The subject was Yair Lapid? That is, is there no problem sitting in a government with Lieberman or Netanyahu? Gafni: "This is one of the understandable instructions. Absolutely!"If Yair Lapid comes out - is it possible that Rabbi Steinman will allow you to enter the government? Gafni: "It definitely could be.". Did you tell Netanyahu that? Did you convince him that it was worth it for him to try to remove Lapid from his government? Does he know that Rabbi Steinman's decision is personally related to Lapid? Gafni: "He can figure it out on his own..."" At the end of the break, MKs Gafni and Asher and their aides entered the empty committee room, furious, due to the failure of committee chairman Nissan Slominsky to enter on time. "This won't go on like this," said Gafni, angry at the delay...