Jump to full article: Jerusalem Post, 2007-12-14
Author: GIL HOFFMAN
Intro: Labor MK Yoram Marciano wants the anti-smoking legislation that took effect last month to go up in smoke.
To that end, he recently formed a lobby in the legislature to push for the repeal of the anti-smoking laws.
The Knesset has lobbies of lawmakers who join forces on issues such as the environment, helping Gush Katif evacuees and bringing home the kidnapped IDF soldiers. But this is the first time a lobby has been formed to fight on behalf of smokers.
Marciano vigorously denied allegations from MKs that he had received campaign contributions or kickbacks from tobacco companies. He said allowing people to smoke in restaurants was a matter of human rights.
"Smoking is legal in this country and therefore it is a human right," Marciano said. "I call upon Israelis not to smoke and I admit that cigarettes are a bad thing that harm people's health. But we need to protect the rights of smokers. This isn't a Third World country."
Marciano, who quit smoking a few years ago but whose wife still smokes, was elected to a slot on the Labor candidates list representing poor neighborhoods, where smoking rates are much higher than the rest of the country.
He was investigated and cleared of charges earlier this year for his role in a pub fight. Now he wants to fight on behalf of pub owners, who have complained that their profits have gone down by as much as 20 percent since the law took effect.
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