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Israeli Parliament Passes Anti-Peace Bills in Preliminary Readings
Israel's Knesset, or Parliament, Wednesday approved, in preliminary readings, a series of so-called "anti-peace" bills, which aim to set limitations on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The first bill, which was presented by Likud legislator Limor Livnat, would require Israeli government to annex all Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip if the Palestinians unilaterally declare an independent state this September.
The second bill, introduced by another Likud lawmaker Tzahi Hanegbi, stated that if the Palestinians declare statehood without coordination with Israel, the Israeli administration should cancel the Oslo agreements, which began the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in the early 1990s.
The two bills were approved in such a context that a unilateral statehood declaration by the Palestinians and possible subsequent violence in the West Bank looms because of the latest crisis in Camp David summit talks.
The three-way summit attended by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and U.S. President Bill Clinton began at Camp David, Maryland on July 11 in order to resolve all the differences between the two sides for reaching an agreement.
However, it ran into a crisis Wednesday when Barak prepared to leave the summit, accusing the Palestinians of not acting as a true peace partner.
According to a series of peace deals between Israel and the Palestinians, the two sides should sign a final peace accord by this September and the Palestinians prepare to declare an independent state by then.
The third "anti-peace" bill approved Wednesday by Israel's Knesset was co-sponsored by Likud legislator Silvan Shalom and lawmaker Zvi Hendel from Yisrael Beiteinu-National Union faction.
The bill require that any Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements approved in a referendum with the support of 50 percent plus one of all Israeli registered voters, instead of those take part in the vote.
It means all those fail to cast their ballots are interpreted as voting against the agreement.
The fourth bill, proposed by Likud legislator Yisrael Katz, also requests a special majority, or 55 percent of those who cast the vote, in such a referendum for approving Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
The bills, analysts believe, are aiming to counteract the vote of Israeli Arabs, who support the peace process for certain. There are about 1 million Arab citizens in the Jewish state's 6.5-million population.
However, the bill needs three more readings to get final approval and it is believed that Barak should have time to bury it in the process.
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