Ministers of Finance and Agriculture: Customs duties on imports of fruits and vegetables will be abolished

The declaration is in fact an application of the reform in agriculture in the path of orders and not of legislation.

Meaning: Opponents will have to wait until the end of the Knesset recess or convene a special debate.

Despite the technical difficulty in the farmers' organizations promise war, but the question is whether they will overthrow the government, in case Lieberman goes all the way?

Liat Ron

14/03/2022

Monday, 14 March 2022, 19:32 Updated: 20:01

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The Ministers of Finance and Agriculture, Avigdor Lieberman and Oded Forer, will announce this morning the abolition of protective caps on the import of fruits and vegetables to Israel.

The so-called “agriculture reform” measures touch on one of the charged issues on the table of the current government almost from the day it was formed about nine months ago.

They were supposed to be included in the Arrangements Law of the 2022 budget, but after heavy pressure exerted by the agricultural lobby in the Knesset, which also has a large representation among coalition members, it was decided that the issue would be settled at a later stage.

To examine the issue, an expert committee was set up headed by Ron Malka, director general of the Ministry of Economy, but farmers' organizations refused to cooperate with it and continued to oppose widespread opposition to the reform

. Lieberman and Forer decided to pass the reform in the form of orders directing the immediate abolition of customs duties on the import of fruits and vegetables.

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Agricultural reform is underway.

Of all the measures against the cost of living, this seems to be the most effective (Photo: ShutterStock, Doron Shiner)

Lieberman's exercise

The Minister of Finance has resorted to a sophisticated exercise, since the expected announcement tomorrow comes in the middle of the Knesset recess, which means that opponents have two main courses of action: to demand a special session of the Knesset or to wait about two months to return to regular work.

If they wait two months, it is possible that the abolition of customs duties will already have an effect on reducing the cost of living and this may make them want to.

If they demand a special Knesset convention, they may be portrayed as fighting to reduce the cost of living at the peak of preparations for Passover, while the issue preoccupies the citizens of Israel more.

From here there are several options for the agricultural lobby: to request the reform from an outline of an order to an outline of legislation, to act to repeal the orders by a majority vote in the Knesset or, according to some legal advisers, to petition the High Court against the orders, claiming some are against the law In the egg industry.

Minister of Agriculture Oded Forer.

Will he be remembered as the one who succeeded in passing one of the most complex reforms in the economy? (Photo: Niv Aharonson)

Fury also in the coalition

A senior coalition official told Walla that before the signing of the budget and the Arrangements Act there was an explicit agreement with Lieberman and Forer that they would not make moves on the reform of agriculture without coordination.

"We do not intend to dismantle the government, but we are doing wrongful, non-collegial and professionally stupid acts, contrary to the promise given to us.

The same source added: "There will be an appeal to the High Court against actual measures that violate the law, such as violating the laying planning law, with the orders issued by the Ministry of Agriculture to the chicken coops.

"When the country is flooded with imports, and we are not against imports as long as it is controlled and done in coordination, it is offensive, rather unprofessional and we will ask for a brace from the coalition leaders against these predatory measures."

The members of the lobby are angry that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture have thwarted the negotiations all along. As for the milk quotas, such negotiations took place until white smoke came out, they say, but the vegetation reform matter was consistent evasion of reasonable negotiations and no substantive discussion.

The last time a proposal was put forward by the director general of the Ministry of Agriculture, Naama Schultz, which they said was not good enough, two weeks later that the finance ministry said negotiations would take place and then farmers were informed if you did not agree to it, the reform would go ahead. Beckett, they take off their gloves on all fronts, even in demonstrations around the country. "

Avshalom Villan, one of the main opponents of the reform.

Will fight but will not give a hand in overthrowing the government (Photo: Maor Koren)

The government will not fall because of agriculture

And despite the promise to "take off the gloves" it seems that if Lieberman imposes all his political weight on the issue, the government will have no choice.

Even Avshalom Villan, one of the leaders of the struggle for agriculture, told Walla that although in his eyes it was a matter of destroying agriculture in Israel, he would not give a hand in overthrowing the government on the issue.

Hence, if Lieberman makes it clear to his partners that for him it is to be or to cease, it is possible that even the strongest lobby will be forced to fold and not be remembered as the one who overthrew the change government.

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Tags

• reform

• agriculture

• Customs

• Avigdor Lieberman

• Cost of living