Israeli lawmaker halts support for government over settler law

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – A member of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) on Monday announced that he will stop supporting the government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett pending the extension of a bill related to settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Nir Orbachis, a member of Bennett’s Yamina Party, said he "decided to stop voting with the government coalition, until further notice."

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Orbachis will refrain from supporting the coalition until the West Bank bill is approved.

The lawmaker, however, will not support dissolving the Knesset, the broadcaster said.

Last week, the Israeli government failed to extend the emergency regulations law in the West Bank, which treats settlers in the occupied territory as Israelis.

The law, which was enacted by the Knesset in 1967, is set to expire by the end of June. The legislation is extended every five years.

Although the Israeli government agreed to extend it, it does not have the required majority in the Knesset for the move as Arab deputies from the coalition either voted against it or abstained from voting.

A new date is yet to be determined to vote again on the law.

More than a month ago, the Israeli government lost its majority in the Knesset, after the withdrawal of right-wing MP Idit Silman.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat