Drama In Knesset: Coalition Defeated On Judea And Samaria Law, Justice Minister Sa’ar Says He’ll ‘Weigh Options’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a dramatic development in the Israeli Knesset Monday evening, a bill to enforce Israeli law in Judea and Samaria was defeated by the opposition. The law is an integral part of Israeli jurisdiction as without it Israelis cannot be prosecuted for crimes committed in the region, police cannot enforce the law and security prisoners from Judea and Samaria cannot be held in Israel. If the law does not pass by June 30, there will also be no possibility to provide health insurance to the 500,000 people residing in Judea and Samaria.

The defeat of the law may influence Justice Minister Sa’ar who proposed it to topple the coalition and join Netanyahu in creating a new government.

The opposition, led by Likud, is aware of the ramifications of the law but their primary goal is to bring down the government. The current regulations in Judea and Samaria irked the Arab parties, who see them as a symbol of Israel’s occupation of the region. For this reason Arab MKs from Meretz and Ra’am voted against their own government and led to the defeat of the current law.  Idit Silman, who recently broke ranks with the government, and Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas were both absent from the vote.

MK Yariv Levin (Likud) celebrated the defeat of the bill, stating that “today we advanced another step towards the end of the failing left-wing government which cannot pass basic Zionist and security legislation and has no right to exist.”

During the last week, Justice Minister Gidon Sa’ar announced a number of times that if the Judea and Samaria law didn’t pass, the government has “no right to exist.” Sa’ar described the bill as a “basic infrastructure law which is critical to maintaining public order and jurisdiction in Judea and Samaria . Without the current regulations the region could become a jungle and a refuge for felons. Israeli citizens in the region will lose their most fundamental rights and will live in the Wild West. The security of all Israelis requires this bill to pass.”

Sa’ar has also been linked with a possible defection to the Likud in return for a high-profile ministry for himself and other defectors, who would enable Netanyahu to form a government in the current Knesset. Thus the defeat of the law may symbolize the end of the current government as it was achieved by left-wing members of the government together with the opposition and this leaves right-wing members like Sa’ar with no option but to leave.

However Sa’ar still attacked the opposition for opposing the law, saying that it was not dependent on political affiliation. “I don’t think anyone wants anarchy in the region, or revocation of Israel’s attachment to Judea and Samaria, but that is where things are leading.”