BUDGET VOTE PUSHED OFF TIL THURSDAY

The 14th Knesset was dispersed today, after the failure of all-nightefforts to reach an agreement on the budget. The Knesset Finance Committeemet this afternoon to prepare the addendum to the budget law and the budgetitself, despite an opposition boycott in protest of the shortadvance-notice given for the meeting. The Committee approved the laws, and the Knesset is scheduled to convene again for a special session on Thursday to pass the budget.

HOW TO LICENSE ARUTZ-7

One left-over issue from the budget debate is the outstanding demand by Shas and the Land of Israel front MKs to legalize any radio station that has been operating for five years. This would qualify Arutz-7 and the Shas radio stations for an immediate license. Atty.-Gen. Elyakim Rubenstein is against the legalization of Arutz-7 in this fashion. In a letter yesterday to Finance Committee Chairman Rabbi Avraham Ravitz and to Communications Minister Limor Livnat, he wrote, "The legalization of Arutz-7 in this way is very problematic legally, and it is doubtful if it could with stand judicial review... Should an organization that does not pay royalties[sic] or submit itself to systematic public supervision benefit from its actions? Is it proper for the Knesset to approve operations that previously took place against the law?"

Representatives of Arutz-7, however, have submitted opinions to the Knesset negating these points. Hebrew University Law professor Eliav Shochetman,author of just such a rebuttal to Rubenstein's opinion, told Arutz-7 today,"The Attorney-General's claims have no basis in Israeli case law. He claims that the Knesset is not authorized to approve one radio station while others must be chosen a public tender. In my opinion, nothing in thepast 50 years of Israeli law prevents such legislation. In fact, anopposite precedent occurred when a previous government requested in thename of the 'national economic interest' a license for the 'ChevrahL'Yisrael' organization. At the time, the Knesset responded favorably, and no public outcry ensued. The Knesset is not limited in its right to granta special license of this sort, or to enact any legislation that does notcontradict the country's Basic Laws. I can't think of any Basic Law violated by the legalization of Arutz-7." Shochetman was even more perplexed by Rubenstein's claim that Arutz-7 does not pay royalties to performers whose music is aired on the station: "It is well-known that Arutz-7 brought a slander suit against the Ma'ariv newspaper for publishing the identical claim, and Arutz-7 won the case! How can the Attorney-General make an accusation declared by an authorizedState court to be slanderous?"It was learned late this afternoon that MK Michael Kleiner is planning tosubmit a special bill to legalize Arutz-7, unconnected with the budget debate.

Biased presentation in Newspaper Maariv

The newspaper Maariv (Febr. 2, 1999), presented these events with a large title than runs over two pages (at the top the pages):
"Arutz 7 torpedoed the budget"