Last update - 00:00 17/01/2007
Finance Cmte. rejects request to finance Lieberman's ministry
By Zvi Zrahiya, Haaretz Correspondent
The Knesset Finance Committee on Wednesday rejected the treasury's request to allocate NIS 26.7 million for the creation of a strategic affairs ministry headed by Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The request was not approved by any member of the committee. MKs Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism), Shelley Yachimovich (Labor), Haim Oron (Meretz) and Nissan Slomiansky (NRP-NU) voted against the request, while MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) abstained.
The committee members said they were given no explanation as to why such a ministry needed to be created.
"For what, exactly, is it necessary to create a strategic affairs ministry?" Slomiansky asked the treasury representative, who responded, "I'm not the person who can explain the need for the ministry."
Slomiansky said in response, "you are the most senior official that we can ask about the need to create the ministry. I have nobody else to ask right now. Even the chief of staff can't answer anymore."
Meanwhile, the committee approved the treasury's request to allocate NIS 3.3 million toward Lieberman's personal security. The minister, who lives in the West Bank settlement of Nokadim, requires special means of protection.
Litzman, Rivlin and Slomiansky voted in favor of financing the minister's security, while Yachimovich and Oron opposed.