BICOM

The coalition government is divided over two motions to create committees to examine the activities of left-wing Israeli NGOs, with a Knesset vote expected today. The first bill, submitted by MK Faina Kirschenbaum, of the hawkish Yisrael Beiteinu party, would probe the damage done by NGOs to the IDF. The second, sponsored by Likud MK Danny Danon, would investigate the contributions NGOs received from foreign countries. The proposed committees are opposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several other senior Likud figures, including Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin. As a result the votes are expected to be close, and the motions may fail. The debate in the Knesset is expected to begin this afternoon, with a vote to take place this evening.

In other coalition news, Shas chairman Eli Yishai warned Netanyahu yesterday that if Shas’s proposal for solving the housing shortage is not adopted, his party would consider leaving the coalition.