Cracks in Netanyahu's bloc? The opposition chairman instructed Likud MKs on Wednesday afternoon to oppose MK Yurai Lahav's proposed 'bag law' - despite agreements reached with the coalition.
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Netanyahu's order was given after a difficult conversation with Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri and United Torah Judaism Chairman Moshe Gafni - who made it clear that the ultra-Orthodox parties would view voting in favor of the law or granting freedom of voting to Likud members as a dissolution of the bloc and the permission to make their own decisions and decide how they would vote on each issue.
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Gafni even threatened that the Likud's freedom to vote on the law would lead to immediate consequences in the votes that will be held today.
Netanyahu was later recorded in the plenum fuming at Gila Gamliel, after she refused to withdraw the "bag law.".
""This is dismantling our opposition! What do we need this law for?" Netanyahu fumed.
Photo: Michael Shemesh, Kan News
The threat from the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox factions came after MK Yisrael Eichler claimed that the bill that would raise the prices of bags "constitutes a serious blow to the poor and families with children." According to him, the measure "was taken as part of the global terrorism of environmental religion.".
Eichler threatened: "Let it be clear - if the Likud grants freedom to vote on raising the prices of bags, members of Torah Judaism will see this as official approval to vote on any law that comes up in the Knesset at their discretion and not according to Likud's instructions.".
The initiator of the bag law, the chairman of the environmental lobby in the Knesset, MK Yurai Lahav Herzno, responded angrily: "I am not willing to reject the proposal. Expanding the bag law is an effective, social and environmental law that has already proven its effectiveness by reducing the use of plastic bags in large shopping chains by 80%.
""This is an important step in the fight against the climate crisis, and it's not for nothing that the Likud announced freedom of voting. I expect the Likud to live up to their conclusions.".
