(Ynet).The reform in the Israel Land Administration (ILA) is officially underway: The Knesset voted in favor of the Land Reform Bill Monday, with 61 Knesset members entering a yea vote and 45 objecting,The ILA reformation aims to give local authorities more say in land allocation by diluting some of the ILA and its six district commissions' authority in the matter.The bill's approval was guaranteed after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Labor Chairman Ehud Barak struck a compromise on some of the new bill's articles.
Among those voting against the reform were Habayit Hayehudi MKs Zevulun Orlev and Uri Orbach, as well as MK Shelly Yacimovich (Labor). Also voting against the bill were the four Labor "rebels" MKs Eitan Cabel, Ophir Pines-Paz, Amir Peretz and Yuli Tamir.
The heated debate saw coalition and opposition members lash out at each other, to the point that Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin had to call the House to order: "If this is the way you behave no wonder the public thinks this is a circus," he said.
Both Netanyahu and Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias seemd elated after the bill passed its vote, with the latter saying that "the public should be very happy. This is an excellent law that we have been waiting for, for many years."
Kadima was quick to slam Labor for "caving in, making it directly responsible for the privatization of national land… it has be been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is easier to plunder national land than it is to separate Labor MKs with their government seats."
Sources in Habayit Hayehudi Party slammed Chairman Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz's decision to vote in favor of the bill, calling it a "disgrace." Hershkowitz defended his vote, saying that "the days when a right-wing party would topple a right-wing government are long gone. The party agreed not to withdraw from the coalition and the prime minister made it clear that not attending with vote would mean just that. I acted according to my responsibilities as the party's chairman."