MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) explained on Sunday why he asked for the vote on the Jewish Home party's Jerusalem Law to be postponed by one week.
"Since this is a basic law, I demanded that we be given time to consult our rabbis. I also said this to Minister Ayelet Shaked and Minister Naftali Bennett, that I am asking to postpone the vote. So they requested that the bill be voted upon in the ministerial committee and not in the Knesset,” Gafni told the haredi radio station Kol Barama.
"I told them that I do not agree, because the coalition agreement says that if one of the factions has an objection to a basic law - this matter should be discussed," he continued.
"According to the existing law, it is impossible to return parts of the Land of Israel without a referendum or with the consent of 80 Knesset members. This law is not intended to do anything in terms of legislation. It could be that it is meant to cause a provocation or argue about a credit, and I'm not certain I want to give the credit to the Jewish Home,” Gafni said.
He was asked whether his move was intended as revenge on the Jewish Home over the meetings held by members of the party with the leaders of Jewish organizations in the Diaspora.
"I am indeed very upset about the meeting with the Reform movement, and I told Bennett this as well. You do not do such a thing to friends who are in partnership, and the issue of the Reform movement is a critical issue for us. It's no secret – I was unhappy with the meeting,” Gafni replied.
"But there is a practical part here too, and after I spoke with Minister Bennett, I brought the issue [of the Jerusalem Law] to the meeting of the coalition leaders so that we could bring it before our Torah sages. I was given a week to do this by the Prime Minister."
Gafni stressed that for the most part there is no friction between the parties in the coalition.
"I have a good relationship with Minister Bennett and I think he is making an effort to treat us fairly,” he said.