The title of this post could very well have been the same as the previous one. Only in Israel.
Trying to summarize this situation in any coherent manner was making my head hurt. Ha'aretz does it pretty well:
The Likud-Labor coalition agreement hit a stumbling block Sunday after the chairman of the Knesset Constitution Law and Justice Committee, Likud MK Michael Eitan, refused to rush through legislation to accommodate the deal.Legislation? What legislation?
According to the agreement reached Saturday night, Labor Chairman Shimon Peres is to become the second deputy prime minister, along with Trade Minister Ehud Olmert, who already holds the title.
Two deputy prime ministers? Well, that could be confusing, but so what?
But the Basic Law: The Government provides for just one deputy prime minister, and therefore must be amended to facilitate Peres' appointment, a move Eitan has indicated he will not make hurriedly.
So the law is inconvenient, you amend it. What's the big deal?
But the Labor Party is demanding that Peres be appointed deputy prime minister at the same time the party's new ministers are sworn in.
"Demanding." Oh, my! Is there no way out?
Likud negotiators suggested that Peres become deputy prime minister for matters related to the peace process - a position that does not currently exist, but would not require an amendment of a basic law. Labor has rejected the offer, however, and is threatening to delay its entry into the government.
Which would probably upset Michael Eitan not at all. As always, though, these minor inconveniences will somehow be ironed out.
Israeli politics. Kind of like a combination soap opera and badly scripted reality show.
