Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin decided to block two of the three bills at the heart of the parliamentary stalemate from reaching the Knesset floor on Monday in the hope of putting an end to the crisis.
Rivlin determined that only the so-called Norwegian Law would be put up for vote in the plenum, while the powder-keg "Mofaz Law" would be held until a later date in an attempt to allow coalition and opposition lawmakers to fine-tune the legislation.
Although the Knesset speaker is a staunch opponent of legislation that he thinks would undermine the legislature's authority - a position that has put him on a collision course with his party chairman, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Rivlin denied Sunday that there had been any worsening of relations between the two men.
Giving in to the Opposition as he fails to Support party and Prime minister's stance, in order to gain their support as he decides to Run for President after Shimon Peres , puts him in position of losing his own party's support and the Coalition block to rally under his candidacy when the day comes.
Kadima on Monday announced that it would cease protest measures against the coalition following a decision by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin to shelve several coalition-sponsored bills.
"Following the understanding that the plenum will not be deliberating 'survivability bills,' the heads of the opposition parties have decided for the time being to freeze the acts of protest," Kadima's spokesperson said in a statement released Monday after a meeting between the leaders of opposition parties.
"The opposition sees the current result as a significant achievement aimed at preventing harm to democracy and safeguarding the Knesset's status," the message continued, noting that the opposition parties would be at liberty to continue and even exacerbate their struggle, if "political pressures" cause a retreat from the understandings
