In Yesh Atid, they rejoiced: 'Surrogacy' passed the government • And why did Bennett come out in anger?

June 1, 2014   

After weeks of mutual war between the Jewish Home Party and Yesh Atid, which culminated in the failure of the two "sisters'" bills, a compromise in relations has been recorded in recent days, which was expressed today (Sunday) with the removal of the appeal from the surrogacy law.

The Jewish Home faction filed an appeal against the law, through Housing Minister Uri Ariel, which was raised by Yesh Atid, while Yesh Atid is responding with an appeal against the Terrorists' Release Law. Both appeals were submitted to the government, so their removal required a government meeting.

This morning, during the government meeting, the parties mutually withdrew their objections to both laws, and the draft of the Embryo Carrying Agreements Law, or more famously, the Surrogacy Law, passed the government meeting.

But then a drama unfolded at the government meeting: with the approval of the surrogacy law, the Jewish Home was confident that the law releasing terrorists would also pass.

אלא שלפתע, במהלך הישיבה, עורר היועץ המשפטי לממשלה יהודה ויינשטיין "קשיים משפטיים" - והממשלה לא הצביעה עליו. מי שנוכח בישיבה ידע לספר כי "נפתלי בנט קם ויצא בחמת זעם". ב'בית היהודי' מיהרו להבהיר כי בשיחה בין בנט לבין ראש הממשלה, מיהר האחרון להבטיח כי ידאג שכבר בישיבת הממשלה הבאה יועלה החוק להצבעה.

 ""End of the political saga""

At the government meeting, the Jewish Home voted against the surrogacy law, which many rabbis oppose, including in the Haredi sector. But in Yesh Atid they had a hard time hiding their joy. "The political saga is over. Today a historic decision was made to promote equality in Israeli society," they said.

Health Minister Yael German, the initiator of the law, also rushed to congratulate: "We will prepare for the creation of the baby and its birth in the Knesset. Now that the law has come out of the freeze, we intend to move it forward quickly to bring about the long-awaited equality in Israeli society. We promised and we kept our promise. This is a good day. The bill balances the desire and right of each and every person to be a parent, and the protection of the surrogate and her rights, and the desire and right of each and every person to be a parent.".

Now all that remains is to see whether 'traditional' elements in the Likud, led by the Haredi headquarters, will loudly condemn the proposal that was passed.