Opposition lawmakers on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee walked out of a session Sunday afternoon, after the committee chairman attacked the legal advisor for opposing the deserters bill, N12 reports. Opposition MK Eli Hirshman told the chairman: "We are not a backdrop for your empty declarations. There is no Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, there is a committee of evasion."
Opposition lawmakers on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee walked out of a session Sunday afternoon, shortly after Chairman MK Boaz Bismut directly attacked the committee's legal advisor, Adv. Miri Frankel Shor, over her opposition to the deserters bill. The walkout came after The Zioneer reported the attack at 14:09 Jerusalem, and as the committee continued its session. Opposition MK Eli Hirshman told the chairman: "We are not a backdrop for your empty declarations. There is no Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, there is a committee of evasion."
Earlier Sunday, at 14:09 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the committee approved the bill to freeze arrests of Haredi draft evaders, sending it to the plenum for final votes. At the same time, the committee's legal advisor formally opposed the bill, arguing it bypasses the conscription law and is unconstitutional. The Zioneer then reported that Chairman Bismut criticized the legal advisor and, minutes later, directly attacked her during the session.
The deserters bill has been a flashpoint for weeks. The Zioneer reported on June 29 that the legal advisor had formally opposed the bill. On July 8, The Zioneer reported that opposition lawmakers had demanded a probe of Haredi MKs' potential conflict of interest in votes on the bill. The committee's advancement of the bill has drawn repeated opposition protests.
It remains unclear when the bill will come to a final vote in the plenum, and whether the walkout signals a broader opposition effort to delay the legislation. The Knesset is expected to disperse for an election recess, and the coalition has been pushing to pass the bill before then.
5 developments
- StrongKnesset committee legal advisor opposes deserters bill, says it bypasses conscription law
- StrongOpposition MKs ask Knesset panel to delay vote on arrest-freeze for yeshiva draft evaders; chair rejects
- DevelopingKnesset panel proceeds with arrest-immunity debate for Haredi non-enlistees; opposition furious Sukkot chairs session
- DevelopingOpposition lawmakers ejected from Knesset committee on media bill
Source and signal
- Internal intake