The Israeli Knesset (parliament) approved the controversial “Ben Gvir” bill, in its first reading, on Tuesday, after fierce debates.
The bill was named by this name because it relates to expanding the powers of the Israeli Minister of Internal Security, a position that will be assumed by the leader of the far-right “Jewish Power” party, Itamar Ben Gvir, in the government that Benjamin Netanyahu is forming.
63 MPs voted in favor of the bill and 53 of the 120 Knesset members opposed it.
The bill had already been voted on in preliminary reading last week, before amendments were introduced that preceded the vote in the first reading, but it still has to be voted on in the second and third readings before it becomes law.
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The Knesset said in a statement, which Anadolu Agency obtained a copy of: “The draft law stipulates that the inspector general of police be subject to the orders and instructions of the government and to be subject to the minister.”
He added, “The proposal also provides for the consolidation of the powers of the Minister of Internal Security to direct police policies in the following issues: priorities, work plans, general instructions, police instructions according to orders, and the application of his powers in everything related to the police budget.”
And he continued, “In the field of investigations, the minister will be responsible for setting broad lines for public policy, including the order of priorities, after he has listened to the position of the attorney general and received advice from the inspector general of police and his staff.”
In the plenary session of the Knesset on Tuesday, Ben Gvir attacked the opponents, saying: “You are dark people, you are not liberal and you are not ready to hear any different opinions, and you are not consistent with the way of the democratic system.”
He added, “I was stunned when the judicial advisor opposed the amendment, and she opposed that the police inspector be subordinate to the government.”
Ben Gvir continued, “To whom should the police inspector submit? To the judicial advisor? To the public prosecutor? Only in police states is the police inspector the master of himself, or he is not subject to anyone.”
Tomorrow, Wednesday, the second deadline given to Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government expires, without it being clear whether he will form it until then or if he will ask Israeli President Isaac Herzog for an additional deadline.
And Israeli President Isaac Herzog can give him an additional period of 4 days, but in the event of his failure, he can assign another Israeli deputy to form the government.
And the Israeli Channel 7 said, on Tuesday, that Netanyahu will inform the president tomorrow, Wednesday, of his success in forming a government, and that he will present it to the Knesset for approval next Tuesday.
There was no comment from Netanyahu or his Likud party on this information