Can the "rebel" on the right breathe a sigh of relief? First publication:
Knesset Speaker Sagit Afek spoke tonight (Monday to Tuesday) with MK Idit Silman, and told her that her vote against the appointment of Matan Kahana as Minister of Religions - which was defined as a vote of confidence in the government - was not a sufficient reason to be declared a "retiree."
According to the ombudsman, a vote that becomes trust in the government is of paramount importance than a regular vote, but still, according to its interpretation, a sequence of votes against the faction and the coalition is needed for there to be a critical mass of votes to cast it.
At the same time, the right is still in no hurry to declare Silman a retiree, since this is a double-edged sword for the coalition.
This move will cause Silman to vote against all of the coalition's bills and effectively eliminate the coalition's maneuverability - which relies on only 60 MKs versus 60 of the opposition - through Silman's absences in the polls. Apparently MK Shirley Pinto, as already published in "Israel Today".
Silman, as I recall, voted twice last night against the coalition's position - the first time it opposed the Judea and Samaria Regulations Law and the second time it opposed the appointment of Deputy Minister of Religions Matan Kahana as minister. In both cases, the coalition suffered embarrassing losses.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
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