Likud Coalition Defeated in the Knesset on Three Procedural Motions

The opposition prevailed over the Likud coalition in three Knesset votes on sensitive matters yesterday. All, however, were procedural motions and only one touched on a subject of serious political content.

The latter was the 58-3 vote in favor of debate on a motion to freeze settlement building on the West Bank and Gaza Strip for economic reasons. It was submitted by MKs Yitzhak Berman and Dror Zeigerman of Likud’s Liberal Party wing who argued that it was irresponsible to spend large sums on settlements in those territories at a time of economic crisis demanding drastic budget cuts.

Although the government is adamantly opposed to a settlement freeze, it yielded to demands for a debate on the subject. The three MKs of the ultra-nationalist Tehiya faction demonstratively walked out of the chamber before the balloting. They were joined by another diehard, Rabbi Haim Druckman of the one-man Matzad faction.

The government lost by a narrow 51-50 vote on an opposition motion to debate the allegation by Minister of Commerce and Industry Gideon Patt last week that Israel’s economic woes are the result of a conspiracy by the Labor Party and Histadrut to topple the Likud government by causing industrial strife. Patt’s charge has already been labeled by critics “The Protocols of the Elders of Histadrut.”

The opposition won 46-41 on a motion for formal debate on the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the collapse of government-backed bank shares last October. The committee will try to ascertain whether the Bank of Israel and the Treasury acted improperly to maintain the shares at a high price after thousands of individual holders dumped them in favor of Dollar purchases. The issue is further complicated by charges that senior bank officials benefitted from the Treasury’s action.

Although the government would have preferred to avoid debate on these matters, its normal four-vote majority could not be mustered yesterday. Ariel Sharon, embroiled in a bitter feud with his Herut colleagues over his responsibility for events in Lebanon when he was Defense Minister, refused to attend the session. He was reported to be “sulking” in the Knesset dining room while the votes were held.

Knesset Speaker Menachem Savidor disqualified himself on grounds that he cannot vote on sensitive matters while serving as acting President. President Chaim Herzog is presently on a state visit to two African countries.

Education Minister Zevulun Hammer of the National Religious Party, convalescing from a recent heart attack, did not attend the session. Former Premier Menachem Begin has not appeared in the Knesset since he announced his resignation last summer. And Likud could not count on the votes of Berman or Zeigerman, both “mavericks” who frequently oppose government policies.