Jeremy's Knesset Insider

Last Tuesday’s session lasted about three hours. Two bills were discussed, and both passed in their first readings. A bill limiting how alcohol products are marketed and a bill on creating a committee charged with fighting hunger were both advanced.

Non-Bills Summary

• 22 MKs spoke during the one-minute speech segment that opened the day. The main topic was the MKs’ response to Netanyahu’s foreign policy speech the day before.
• Speaker Rivlin gave a warm speech to the Kazakhstan-Israel Friendship Society leaders.
• MK Eldad (N.U.) gave his report on the Knesset’s Middle East delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Athens. He noted that there was an interesting discussion on whether Jordan should be a Palestinian state and Bahrain surprisingly supported it.
• A motion on the 2011 Nakba Day events and their implications were discussed by nine MKs and summarized by Minister Peled (Likud). The Knesset rejected a proposal to discuss the matter further by a 2-5 vote among the handful of MKs who were left at the end of the day.

Bills Summary

National Council for Food Security Bill

MK Avraham Balila (Kadima) stated that 1.5 million Israelis live under the poverty line and her bill would create a 13-member committee reporting to the Labor and Welfare Minister to solve the hunger problem. She stressed that the lack of food is more critical than any other issue that poor people face and that should be the first issue the country solves for them. She rejected the country’s reliance on private and outside organizations that are doing the work the country should be doing itself. She noted that the committee would not be authorized to allocate funds but would be able to suggest to the minister that he allocate funds for feeding Israel’s citizens.

MK Ben-Ari (N.U.) recalled his childhood in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv, where in the 1970’s some of his neighbors didn’t have electricity. He recalled his time as a teacher in Bet Shemesh in the 1980’s, when some of the students didn’t have money to buy socks and suffered frost bite in the winter. He expressed frustration that today in other cities similar problems still exist, such as people who don’t have enough money to buy beds. He stated the biggest problem is that there are people who don’t know how to ask for help because they don’t know they are entitled to certain privileges from the government.

MK Eichler (U.T.J.) recalled his plan from seven years ago that would entitle poor citizens to food stamps and how Prime Minister Sharon opposed and defeated his bill. He went on to express his frustration with the housing shortage and asked the government to listen to him and not to wait seven years to suggest the same exact thing he did, like they did with this bill.

MK Maklev (U.T.J.) expressed his frustration about Israel’s poverty and expressed support for the bill.

MK Molla (Kadima) praised the bill and slammed the government for not feeding its citizens. He stated that the government should not rely on third parties to bail it out of its commitments. He stated he is in favor of big government.

MK Zeev (Shas) warned everyone that solving poverty will not happen in one day. He quoted the torah that states there will always be poor people. He recalled a situation when he was the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and a man from the Har Nof neighborhood was thrown in jail for not paying the water bill, leaving his wife and ten children without him or running water. Zeev paid the bill and had the man released. He noted many people today are thrown in jail for not paying utility bills and that preventing this occurrence is the easiest way to help the poor.

The bill passed its first reading 13-0 and was sent to the Labor and Welfare Committee.

Limitation on the Advertising and Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill

MK Danon (Likud) noted that between 50% and 60% of Israeli teens consume alcohol. He slammed those who market alcohol as cool to teenagers. He explained that the first part of the bill will prevent the alcohol companies from advertising or marketing their products with celebrities, athletes, models or any other person. He said that they will only be able to market their product with pictures of the product itself and by itself. He explained that the second part of the bill would put a warning on the label of the alcohol product that excessive drinking is dangerous for one’s health. He acknowledged that this will not prevent teens from drinking but said he hoped that it might limit it. He said it will also send a message that the government is against underage drinking.

MK Eichler noted that this is the first generation of Israelis who are drinking. He stated that these percentages did not exist a decade ago. He urged Danon to add a clause to ensure that underage drinking of wine for religious purposes would not be effected by this bill.

MK Ben-Ari recalled when he and Danon took a tour of downtown Jerusalem at two in the morning and spoke with drunken teens and the police who were sitting there did nothing to prevent the drinking. He recalled the soldiers who were drinking in their uniforms and the techniques they described for getting drunk faster and cheaper. He stated that the next generation is drunk and empty of principles and confessed he was worried about the future of this generation and the country. He praised the bill and expressed his support.

MK Levin (Likud) praised and supported the bill. He called for education to warn against underage drinking and drunkenness.

MK Zeev said that wine isn’t the problem but hard alcohol is. He questioned what the difference is between hard alcohol and other drugs, calling for it to be outlawed. He noted that in the United States the punishment for a drunken road accident death is 21 years in jail but that here in Israel the punishment is much less. He praised and supported the bill.

Deputy Speaker Danon added that in some states in the United States it is forbidden to sell alcohol on Sundays. He explained this was enacted so that no one showed up drunk to church.

The bill passed its first reading 8-0 and was sent to the Finance Committee.

Last Monday’s session lasted about five hours. The day’s highlight was Netanyahu, who gave a foreign policy speech after surviving three no-confidence votes to begin the summer session. Four bills were discussed. One was advanced after passing its first reading and three became law after passing their third readings. Although the new laws are very interesting, Netanyahu’s short discussion on his foreign policy during his speech about Herzl Day took the headlines. Before Netanyahu gave his speech, the six liberal opposition parties failed in three no-confidence votes to bring down the government. The session was the first of the summer and only the third in the past 47 days.

Non-Bills Summary:

• Kadima’s no-confidence motion titled ‘Netanyahu government’s failure in the political, economic and social sectors’ was defeated 40-52, with 1 MK abstaining and 27 MKs not present for the vote.
• Hadash, Ra’am-Ta’al and Balad’s joint no-confidence motion titled ‘A Government that harms democracy’ was defeated 13-57, with 16 abstaining and 34 MKs not present.
• Labor and Meretz joint no-confidence motion titled ‘The government’s failure in the political, social and economic sectors’ was defeated 39-56, with 1 MK abstaining and 24 MKs not present.
• Herzl Day was marked by speeches from Speaker Rivlin, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Livni. Netanyahu chose to give an outline of his upcoming U.S. Congress speech on his outlook of the government position regarding negotiations with the Palestinians. Most of his speech dealt with Herzl, the Arab spring and the Nakba day attacks on Israel. When Netanyahu started talking about his policy Kadima heckled him and Speaker Rivlin tried to regain order. Netanyahu explained the reason he prefers not to give policy speeches in the Knesset is because he can’t get out a sentence without being heckled. Netanyahu outlined his policy stressing the need for keeping the peace with Jordan and Egypt, preventing a nuclear Iran, preserving Israel’s security and forcing the Palestinians to accept Israel as the Jewish state. He discussed the end of the conflict, that the refugee problem be solved outside of Israel’s borders, that the Palestinian state have borders according to the Anadora model he presented in his Bar Ilan speech and that there be Israeli presence on the Jordan river, Israeli sovereignty over the settlement blocks and an undivided Jerusalem. He asked Fatah to choose Israel over Hamas, saying that he is looking for a Palestinian state next to Israel, not a Palestinian state instead of Israel. Livni’s speech painted Netanyahu and his coalition as war hawks who are not interested in peace and are turning the United States from a friend to an enemy. She was, in turn, heckled by Likud MKs. She mentioned her view of Herzl was different than Netanyahu’s.
• House Committee Chairman Levin (Likud) announced the following changes in the Knesset committees: MK Amnon Cohen (Shas) will replace Internal Affairs and Environment Chairman Azoulay (Shas) in his position. MK Azoulay will take MK Cohen’s spot in the Finance Committee, as a permanent substitute in the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee and as a member of two sub-committees.

Bills Summary:

Amendment to the Religious Courts Bill

Constitution, Law and Justice Chairman Rotem (Y.B.) explained that the amendment would add the assistance units used in the regular court system to the religious court system as well. He said the assistance units include mediation, counseling, arbitration, as well as other similar services the judges can use during a trial. He stressed that the professional opinions may be disregarded by the religious judges if they disagree with the assistance unit in any case.

MK Molla (Kadima) expressed his support for the bill. He explained that the previous draft of the bill was problematic but expressed his satisfaction with the final draft. He noted the changes that would ensure that women would receive equality to men in the assistance units as well as the prohibition of the court appointing their own people in the assistance units.

The bill passed its second reading 19-0.

The bill passed its third reading 16-0.

Amendment to the Entry into Israel Bill

Internal Affairs and Environment Chairman Azoulay (Shas) explained that the amendment would prevent foreign workers from jumping between jobs and contain them within a specific geographic area during their temporary stay in Israel. He added that any foreign workers who have been out of work for 90 days must be deported. He noted that the final draft of the bill will force the Interior Minister to invoke these laws on an individual basis and not automatically. He summarized that the reason for the limit placed on the time and location the foreign workers can work is to ensure they stay in the Negev and Galil. He concluded that this bill was split off from the Arrangements Bill before the vote on the budget in the winter session.

MK Khenin (Hadash) objected to the bill on the grounds that the bill is a violation of basic democratic rights. He slammed the limits placed on the foreign workers’ ability to transfer between jobs and travel between cities and deports those who are unemployed. He said that the country is using these foreign workers as modern day slave labor instead of promoting these jobs for Israelis. He warned that this bill will force the workforce companies to bring in more foreign workers to make up for the new restrictions. He said that it would create a revolving door policy that promotes human trafficking. He warned this bill will probably be thrown out by the Supreme Court for being unconstitutional. He noted that there are around 200,000 foreign workers in Israel and they are entitled to basic rights. He questioned the logic of a violation of a human right if it doesn’t even accomplish its purpose. He listed several liberals who are against the bill. He quoted a few of them and asked the MKs to listen to them and their analysis.

MK Horowitz (Meretz) stated that the foreign workers are as entitled to basic rights as the old and disabled people who hire them. He called for equality. He agreed that many foreign workers leave their employers but stressed that taking away their basic rights is not the proper answer. He noted several liberal groups who opposed the bill and quoted from them. He agreed with Khenin’s analysis of the bill and noted that most of the foreign workers are women. He stated that this bill is a terrible one because it hurts more women than men.

MK Gal-On (Meretz) expressed her support for the 100,000 illegal foreign workers and blasted the bill that would deport them. She noted they were people too. She also agreed with Khenin and Horowitz’s analysis and objected to the bill.

MK Azoulay responded that the current situation where the foreign workers leave their employers to find a better job is unacceptable and not fair for the disabled and elderly people who are no longer cared for. He also stressed the need to deport illegal foreign workers in order to send a positive message to those who work legally and stay with their employers.

The objections were defeated 4-29, 5-27 and 5-26.

The paragraphs were passed in their second reading 27-5 and 26-5.

The bill passed its third reading 26-5.

MK Azoulay thanked the Knesset for passing this new law and for bringing justice to the elderly and disabled people who are in desperate need of foreign workers’ services.

Amendment to the Elections Bill

Constitution, Law and Justice Chairman Rotem explained that changes were made as a result of the lessons learned from previous elections. He stated among those changes is a way for the shabak officers to vote without having their identities revealed as well as changes in the handicap polling booths. He asked the Knesset to vote in favor of his objections on the bill that will force those who are voting in special polling booths to declare the reason they need the special polling booth.

The bills paragraphs passed their second readings 16-0, 14-0, 15-0, 14-0 and 16-0.

MK Rotem’s objections were accepted 9-6 and 10-2.

The bill passed its third reading with MK Rotem’s objections 15-0.

Amendment to the Labor Court Bill

Information and Diaspora Minister Edelstein (Likud) explained that this bill will update the law on the Labor courts based on the findings of a committee that was charged with updating the law. He assured this bill would assist in reducing the time it takes for Labor Courts to reach their verdicts. He mentioned that the bill would go through changes in committee and by the requests of Justice Minister Neeman before becoming law.

The bill passed its first reading 13-0 and was sent to the Justice Committee.