Government supports referendum on Golan pullout
Knesset expected to approve amendment to referendum law spelling out guidelines on how referendum should be held.
By Jonathan Lis Tags: Knesset Israel newsThe Knesset is gearing up to vote on Wednesday on an amendment to a law requiring a referendum ahead of any Israeli territorial withdrawal. The amendment is expected to be approved, as the government has already approved it by ministerial committee.
The vote comes in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement on Monday that Syria is now willing to negotiate peace with Israel without preconditions, reportedly agreeing to drop its demand of a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Golan.
The initial referendum law was approved by the previous Knesset in its first reading, and in order to facilitate its legislation further it must be voted on again, in the interest of continuity.
MK Yariv Levin (Likud), who headed the committee that prepared the law for the vote, explained Tuesday that the law requires a referendum prior to a withdrawal from any part of the country, and that the essence of the law is to define the methods to be utilized: how the questions will be formulated, how the campaign will be conducted and how the vote itself will be held.
The law was scheduled to be raised for a vote about a month ago, but Minister Dan Meridor appealed the ministerial committee's decision to support the law, and the vote was delayed. On Tuesday, the committee discussed Meridor's appeal and decided to reject it, clearing the path for the vote on Wednesday.
MK Levin criticized Meridor's appeal, saying "the appeal submitted by Meridor is unacceptable, and I am not entirely clear on why he chose to torpedo the issue, which has already been anchored in legislation, by attacking the amendment on to the technical details of the referendum, especially when it appears that this law enjoys wide support."
Having already been adopted by the government, analysts believe that the amendment will also enjoy support among the opposition. The initial referendum law was proposed by former MKs Avigdor Yitzhaki and David Tal, both from Kadima, indicating that the largest opposition party, Kadima, will likely support the amendment as well.
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when olmert had the helm...lol...now here it is again, to be reaffirmed...just in case peace is actually considered by anyone.
alot depends on who's pushing it, and how they go about it.
There was an international referendum, it is called UN resolution 242 which calls for exiting all colonized/occupied land, Israel is not above international law even if protected and spoiled like a child by its rich uncle Sam.
Just in case a mistake is made and a peace agreement happens. The Referendum would give war one last chance. It was the same ploy Hamas invoked when it endorsed any agreement Abbas reached so long as a Referendum approved it. All sing along now: "All we are demanding, is Give War a Chance!"
Can't wait to read the wording of the referendum. It would be an epic vote.
"The Knesset is gearing up to vote on Wednesday on an amendment to a law requiring a referendum ahead of any Israeli territorial withdrawal." Israeli. territorial. withdrawal. What does that mean, exactly? It doesn't mean a "withdrawal from Israeli territory". It certainly isn't "ceding Israeli territory". It is, when you really scratch at it, this: Israeli law will not allow the Israeli govt to order the troops from any territory once that territory has been placed under the occupation of those troops. The IDF pullout from the Sinai, I'll point out, would have been covered by this Haaretz phraseology, because it clearly involved an "Israeli territorial withdrawal". Quite astonishing when you think about it i.e. Netanyahu can order the Merkava tanks to roll forward TOMORROW to seize Damascus, but once the IDF establishes an occupation of that city he'll be unable to order them to return i.e. he'll have to put THAT decision to a referedum. Astonishing!
This will make any peace deal all but impossible, which is the main reason for this. The will force the world to use heavy pressure even if deal is reached.