.
Commentary;
One cannot help but be cynical about Shas’ empty, meaningless, symbolic — lacking subtance threats to leave the Olmert regime. We’ve seen this played out before in this and previous regimes. If Shas won’t quit over Olmert’s concessions to Abbas or over the Olmert regimes’ debacle in Lebanon, or the ongoing Gaza debacle directly related to Monday’s attack at Dimona, does Yishai really expect Olmert to quake with fear over child support payments? MB
Shas Warns: Child Support Payments or No Coalition
Full Text;
Shas party leader and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai has warned that his party will break up the Olmert coalition if the government does not agree to restore increased child support payments. Former Finance Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu drastically cut the payments by up to 90 percent several years ago.
Minister Yishai brought up the subject of the payments two weeks ago, when he said his party would not bolt the coalition on the issue of ceding parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority (PA) so long as the subject is not discussed by senior negotiators.