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The Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) faction announced Tuesday it will push for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the activities of left-wing organizations.
The move comes the day after Israel's Knesset voted in favor of a 'Boycott Bill,' which forbids firms participating in boycotts of Judea and Samaria from bidding on government tenders.
Senior officials in the Likud party reportedly tried to disuade its coalition partner from going ahead with the plan in a heated debate, but Yisrael Beiteinuis determined to proeceed.
Coalition chairman Zeev Elkin (Likud) confirmed Yisrael Beiteinu's Faina Kirschenbaum would raise the issue in the Knesset plenum next week. Danny Danon (Likud) who has already chaired a commission looking into foreign funding of non-governmental organizations in Israel, is expected to raise a similar proposal, Elkin added.
Elkin, who sponsored the 'boycott law,' said that while he personally supports the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the activities of left-wing organizations, the proposal had zero chance of passing in the Knesset.
"The proposal has no chance and it will fail by a large majority, because many in the Likud oppose such a move," Elkin said.
"The Prime Minister has decided members will vote freely, and obviously many senior (Likud) memberss will oppose such a commission."
The commission proposal first emerged last January and was approved by the House Committee, but was never brought to a vote due to a lack of Likud support.
"At the time, Yisrael Beiteinu understood that because the Likud would not enforce party discipline, and that most of our members opposed the proposal, that they did not want to test in in the plenum. But a few days ago they asked me to allow them bring back the proposal to the plenum," Elkin said.
