The coalition on Wednesday rejected two bills calling for the formation of a parliamentary committee of inquiry to investigate claims of severe discrimination, racism and violence, put forth by members of the Ethiopian community in Israel. One proposal submitted by Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni was rejected by a majority of 48 opposed to 46 in favor, while Joint Arab List MK Dov Khenin's proposal was rejected 48-44. Livni argued that an inquiry committee was needed, so that Ethiopian Israelis would stop being invisible citizens. According to Livni, "If the coalition dismisses the proposal, it will be a disgrace to the government and the person heading it." Immigrant Absorption Minister Zeev Elkin, who responded to the bills on behalf of the government, mainly attacked Livni. "It is hard for me to accept Livni's sincerity, who was a member of almost every government over the past decade," Elkin said. "There is a desire here to take a national issue and turn it into cheap politics." Meanwhile, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Wednesday met with representatives from the Tebeka Advocacy for Equality and Justice for Ethiopian Israelis organization, along with a representative for Damas Pakada, the Ethiopian Israeli IDF soldier assaulted by police officers in April. An audience with Weinstein was requested due to his decision to treat the case of one of the policemen as a disciplinary matter, not a criminal one. According to Weinstein, "As long as I am serving in this position, the criteria will be one and the same -- and that is the reasonable chance of a conviction. In the absence of a reasonable chance for a conviction, the prosecutor is not permitted to take the case before the courts, and that is why an indictment will not be issued."
