MK Barakeh: Arab parties will vote as bloc against budget

Aaron Lerner Date: 20
March 2005

MK Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash-Ta`al) told Israel Radio this morning in a live
interview that the 8 MKs representing Arab parties will vote as a bloc
against the budget - even if that means that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's
Government falls.

Barakeh explained that the budget was so bad that he did not see how it was
possible at this late point for the budget to be improved enough to justify
the bloc's not voting against it (the Sharon team expected the bloc to
abstain if it could not vote in favor of the budget).

When the news program anchor asked Barakeh if he was willing to take
responsibility for ultimately stopping the disengagement, Barakeh replied
that the IDF is now being organized to require only 3 weeks to complete the
withdrawal and thus there is enough time to withdraw even if the budget isn't
passed."

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il