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Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Weekly Commentary: Sunday or Never? Will Netanyahu Exercise Paragraph 29?

Weekly Commentary: Sunday or Never? Will Netanyahu Exercise Paragraph 29?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 1 July 2020

Let's cut through the confusion.

When the Government meets next Sunday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu can
have the doors closed, pull out a map delineating the areas within which
Israel is applying Israeli law and hold a snap vote after a short
discussion.

And it is over.

No marathon session affording elements outside the room to intervene.

No Knesset procedures fraught with the very real possibility of providing
the Supreme Court with grounds for voiding the move.

A lot of talking heads are focusing on Paragraph 28 of the coalition
agreement between the Likud and Blue and White (my translation appears
below).

But Paragraph 28 does not matter.

Only Paragraph 29 matters.

And the wording is very careful. It refers to "agreement reached with the
United States on the application of sovereignty".

"Decisions about Israeli and extending sovereignty in other places are
decisions for the Israelis to make"
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo JUNE 24, 2020

The United States has stated repeatedly for the record that it is up to
Israel to decide on this matter.

And I am certain that Binyamin Netanyahu agrees to that!

Could there be a downside to a snap move?

I answer the question with a question: Is there any scenario according to
which candidate Trump would benefit by reacting unfavorably to the snap
vote?

Absolutely not.

All the other considerations were already on the table when time and again
Mr. Netanyahu promised that he was going to apply sovereignty.

It is now or never.

For the sake of our collective futures I pray that it is now.

=====
16 April 2020
A coalition agreement for the establishment of an emergency and national
unity government
Held and signed on April 20, 2020 22 Nissan 5768
between-
Likud faction in the 23rd Knesset (hereinafter: "Likud") and the
Blue and White Faction in the 23rd Knesset ("Blue and White")
...
28. The Prime Minister and the Alternate Prime Minister will work together
and coordinated to promote peace agreements with all of our neighbors and
promote regional cooperation in a variety of economic areas and the matter
of the corona crisis.

With regard to everything to President Trump's declaration, the Prime
Minister and Alternate Prime Minister will act in full agreement with the
United States, including with regard to the maps with the US and
international dialogue on the issue, all while pursuing the security and
strategic interests of the State of Israel and the need for maintaining
regional stability, maintaining the peace agreements and striving for
future peace agreements.

29. Notwithstanding Article 3, Article 20, Article 21 and Article 28 above,
and after a discussion and consultation are held between the Prime Minister
and the Alternate Prime Minister on the principles set out above, the Prime
Minister will be able to bring the agreement reached with the United States
on the application of sovereignty as of 1.7.2020 for discussion in the
cabinet and government and for approval by the government and/or the
Knesset.

If the Prime Minister wants to bring his proposal to the Knesset, he can
also do so through an MK, provided that he is from the Likud faction, who
would commit at the preliminary reading that the legislation be amended to
the same wording as presented by the Prime Minister in the cabinet and
government. After the preliminary reading, and if it is a government bill
after the first reading, the law will be passed as soon as possible, in the
quickest possible way, and in a way that will not disrupt and delay the
process by the chairman of the Knesset Committee and the Knesset committee
to debate it is the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Subject to the foregoing, the Appendix on the Coalition's Ways of Operation
shall not apply for the purposes of this article.
...
________________________________________
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