Blue and White MKs admit shame for giving Netanyahu money
The coalition succeeded in passing the proposal by and 8 to 5 vote, despite Blue and White MKs boycotting the meeting, because Blue and White had given Likud one of its places on the committee.
By GIL HOFFMANPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo credit: REUTERS)
Knesset members from Blue and White revealed on Wednesday that embarrassment was the reason the party boycotted Tuesday’s Knesset Finance Committee meeting that approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for nine years of tax refunds on expenses for his work as prime minister at his private home in Caesarea that were paid by the state.The coalition succeeded in passing the proposal by and 8 to 5 vote, despite Blue and White MKs boycotting the meeting, because Blue and White had given Likud one of its places on the committee in the coalition agreement.“We decided not to come because we thought this time was completely wrong,” Social Equality Minister Merav Cohen told Channel 12. “I deal with the elderly, and I thought I would not be able to look them in the eyes. We did the least of all evils by not coming.”Cohen said her party believes this is the time to help ordinary citizens hurt by the coronavirus crisis. She said she would do everything possible to prevent another proposal from passing in the committee on Sunday that would add more benefits to the residences of the prime minister and alternate prime minister.Blue and White MK Ram Shefa, who is a member of the Finance Committee, said that instead of coming he convened the Education Committee that he heads to learn about reforms in special education. The committee also discussed how to help the culture industry.“During such a terrible economic crisis, I cannot take part in a vote on such tax benefits,” Shefa wrote on Twitter.Yesh Atid MK Mickey Levy responded by posting a children’s song on Shefa’s Twitter page about having two hands. Levy said Shefa should have used his hands to vote against Netanyahu’s request if he opposed it.Coalition chairman Miki Zohar revealed that he gave special permission to Shefa and Blue and White’s other representative on the Finance Committee, MK Mikki Haimovich, to not participate in the vote, because he had a majority without them.
