(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Saadia Gordetzky, the official spokesman for MK (Likud) Yehuda Glick, confirms reports that he was pressured to have MK Yehuda Glick return to Knesset to vote on the Shabbos (Makolet/Supermarket) Bill. Clearly, Glick continued the levaya and then returned home to sit shiva.

When the chareidim realized they might not have the required majority, the decision was made to postpone voting on the bill until next week, when MK Glick gets up from shiva. In addition, MK (Shas) David Azoulai is undergoing medical treatment that did not permit him to get to Knesset to vote.

Unlike in the past, the opposition and coalition party member Yisrael Beitenu refused the ‘pairing’ agreement, which is unofficial but nonetheless common practice in Knesset. If Glick and Azoulai were out for legitimate reasons such as they were; his wife was niftar and Azoulai for medical reasons, two members of the opposition would agree to abstain from voting to even the playing field. This has also been done in the past when MKs are abroad, and while it is an accepted practice, the opposition and Defense Minister Lieberman were not willing to cooperate due to their absolute opposition to the bill.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein explained that while it is the privilege of the opposition not to accept the pairing option, it is simply not the norm, especially when a fellow lawmaker is mourning his wife.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)