Although the Knesset is dispersing and the political system in the run-up to the elections, struggles still arose yesterday between the coalition and the opposition over a package of laws promoted as part of a "clearing of the table" before the election.
The coalition said: "Going to the polls, the opposition no longer has a reason to oppose laws to overthrow the government. They are working against the citizens of Israel out of personal revenge."
The main law that does not enter into agreements due to opposition from the opposition is the Metro Law - the largest transportation infrastructure project in the country's history, amounting to NIS 150 billion.
Through a network of three metro lines that will pass between 24 authorities throughout Gush Dan and serve about two million passengers a day, the project is supposed to address the transportation load in the central area.
The country's population is expected to grow to 25 million people in the next 25 years by 2050, and in order to allow a reasonable life for such a large number of people in a densely populated area, a transport solution is a reality.
The law regulates all the infrastructure for the execution of the project as well as the arrangements and legal regulation that accompanies it.
The coalition's chairman, MK Boaz Toporovsky, who led the talks with the Likud to promote 50 consensual laws, understood that if he insisted on the metro law and did not reach agreements in negotiations, the coalition would have no majority to pass any law. Will operate from a broad vision of advancing many laws for the benefit of all parts of the coalition.
The Minister of Transportation, Merav Michaeli, harshly criticized the opposition's opposition to the law.
"We are at a critical moment for the future of the country," she wrote on Twitter.
MK Bezalel Smutrich replied to her and wrote that "nothing will get stuck, trust me I understand that.
In the next two years it is possible to move forward even without this part of the law.
We will pass it on better with the help of the name in the next government. "
In response to allegations against her in the coalition that she had a full year to pass the law, Michaeli replied: "Whoever says the metro law will only be delayed 'a little' if it does not pass, just does not understand it. It is reasonable that no financing mechanisms will be activated that will bring NIS 150 billion for investment in the project.
The trainees will be respected, they will learn the law, and then they will explain to the public why they stuck it on politics. "
MK Yoav Kish of the Likud said that if the coalition agrees on October 25 as an election date, the opposition will support the metro law.
Promote exemption.
US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Photo: IP
Will continue to stand in line
The Likud also opposes a law that would promote the granting of a visa exemption to the United States. The Israeli ambassador to the United States intervened and asked the Likud to support the law.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked called on the Likud: "Remove the veto on the law we need to get an exemption from visas to the United States."
We are on a very accelerated path with the US administration, at the end of which, at the beginning of next year, Israelis will not have to stand in line for the US embassy. "Let us pass the legislation."
Also, Communications Minister Yoaz Handel fought against coalition officials not to allow the ultra-Orthodox to advance the Communications Law against his reform of kosher cell phones in the ultra-Orthodox sector - but the coalition agreed to the law, despite Handel's pressure, and was approved last night in first reading.
Deri said after the law was approved: "Shas' communications law was approved without opponents, and the Knesset clearly told Yoaz Handel: Stop being arrogant and hate the ultra-Orthodox public."
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