Israel: Budget, economic arrangement bill goes to Knesset Tuesday

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 3 November 2003 | NINA GILBERT

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Nov. 3, 2003
Budget, economic arrangement bill goes to Knesset Tuesday
By NINA GILBERT

In spite of the ongoing labor strife, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's 2004 budget and economic arrangements bill are to be presented before the Knesset on Tuesday.

The government is expected to easily win approval for the first reading of the legislation on Wednesday.

The NIS 254.7 billion spending package is 3.5 percent less than the 2003 budget.

The Knesset opposition announced Monday it would launch a parliamentary and public campaign to provoke negative public opinion against the approval of the budget on December 31.

Under an extreme protest plan drafted by Labor MK Avraham Burg, an MK would be assigned to "pester" each minister while in the Knesset.

Ministers would be also met at all public appearances by a group of protestors. Round the clock demonstrations by special interest groups would also be carried out opposite the homes of ministers. Under the plan, Education Minister Limor Livnat would have to face angry parents every time she leaves her home.

Unemployed high-tech workers would also be enlisted to bombard government offices with e-mails, and artists would give street performances outside of ministers homes on Fridays.

The government, for its part, asked the Knesset Finance Committee on Monday to approve NIS 2.5 million to finance an information campaign to explain budget reforms in light of the Histadrut's ongoing labor sanctions and attacks on Netanyahu.

Treasury officials told the committee that the Histadrut is spreading disinformation and the costs to the economy by strikes are much greater than an information campaign. Committee members criticized the Treasury for publishing ads before getting financing approved, and the vote was postponed until Tuesday.

Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin gave the go-ahead for the legislation to be brought before the Knesset after several items were removed.

A measure that would have canceled government financing of fertility treatments to conceive a second child won't be considered. However, two clauses in the arrangements bill on raising the retirement age to 67 and cutting party-funding are to be considered separately to enable in-depth discussions.

Labor MK Avraham Burg, who is leading the campaign by the 52-member opposition against the budget, said the goal of the opposition is to "at least get the worst elements of the budget eliminated."

Burg said the budget is proof that the government "does not care about its citizens." He also said one of the worst cuts is to the Chief Scientist's Office, an important job-creation vehicle.

An overnight voting filibuster engineered by the opposition in May against budget revisions triggered the double voting scandal. MKs were hopeful that resilience by the opposition would pay off again.

During the meeting, United Torah Judaism MK Ya'acov Litzman denied that his faction had made any deal with the Treasury to increase child support payments in exchange for support of the budget. "Nothing can make up for the huge robbery committed over the past years," he said, adding that his faction is in the "opposition."

Meretz MK Haim Oron criticized the government for spending NIS 2.5m. to explain the budget instead of helping needy children.