Slippery Slope

Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser is promoting a proposal that would grant the right of absentee voting in Knesset elections to Israelis living abroad. Granting absentee voting rights to all expatriate Israelis was part of the 2009 coalition agreement between Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, and publicly supported two years ago by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Members of the Security Cabinet and the eight-minister security forum expressed resentment over the Prime Minister and Defense Minister’s decision not to convene any of the security forums since the PM’s return from the United States, and that decisions regarding the military response in Gaza were made without their involvement. (Ynetnews)

(Hebrew - Ynet)

Most of the so-called emergency measures announced by Prime Minister Netanyahu to deal with settlers law-breakers did not give the IDF and other authorities any powers they did not already have.

Attorney General, Yehuda Weinstein, handed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an expert opinion, which says that the proposed bills aimed to restrict activity of human rights organizations are not constitutional, and that they hurt a number of constitutional rights, such as: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and right to equality.

(Hebrew)

The government will vote on a plan to move nearly 30 thousand Bedouins in the Negev, which are about 40 percent from the 71 thousand Bedouin who reside in the area. According to the plan, the Bedouins will be moved to extensions of existing Bedouin towns such as Rahat, Kuseife and Hura, and will be compensated with money and land. The plan is a layout to the implementation of the recommendations of the Goldberg report regarding the Bedouins’ settlement arrangements. Representatives of the Bedouin and human rights organizations sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister and the ministers warning them that the outline which was suggested by the application team contradicts the recommendations of the Goldberg Committee and the policy of the National Planning Committee in recent years.

(Hebrew )

In a Knesset plenum session on three new proposed bills (the “Nakba Bill”, “Communities acceptance committee law”, and “paying for the demolition of houses by their owners law”). During the debate, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said to MK Dr. Jamal Zahalka (National Democratic Assembly, or “Balad”): “your right to sit here and quack (like a duck) – is the Democracy.”

(Hebrew )

In a meeting of the Likud faction, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu answered a question from MK Tzipi Hotovely, about granting permanent to the settlement of Itamar. Mr. Netanyahu said that he would try to assist on this matter.

The number of diplomatic visits abroad of PM Binyamin Netanyahu has been significantly reduced in the past year. During his first year in office Natanyahu flew abroad 13 times, and visited 9 countries. In his second year Netanyahu flew abroad 8 times only, and visited 6 countries. Out of these trips, 3 were to Egypt, and 3 to the US.

(Hebrew)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that he objects to the demolition of Major Eliraz Peretz, who was killed on the Gaza border, despite the fact that the house was built in the Ali settlement, on privately-owned Palestinian land. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also said that he was “acting to find a judiciary solution that will avoid hurting the family of Major Peretz.”

(Hebrew)

Foreign press reporters intending to participate in the PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s annual New Year’s toast, said that they had been humiliated by the Shabak security personnel on premises. A reporter for Al Jazeera was required to remove her bra — when she refused she was forbidden from entering, and left. Turkish journalists also said they had to undergo humiliating security checks.

(Hebrew)