Jeremy's Knesset Insider

Last Tuesday’s session lasted about four hours. Four bills were discussed. One bill was advanced after passing its preliminary reading, one was advanced after passing its first reading and two bills became law after passing their third readings. The two new laws deal with expanding the Protecting the Public from Sex Offenders Bill and raising the required age until which parents must clothe and feed their children from 14 to 16. International Environment Day was recognized in the Knesset committees and in the plenum with a motion and a bill that was advanced.

                              

Non-Bills Summary

• 13 MKs participated in the one minute speech segment that opened up the day. Diaspora Affairs Minister Edelstein responded to some of the issues highlighted in the speeches.
• Five MKs presented queries to Science and Technology Minister Hershkowitz (J.H.) during his question hour.
• Motions on Gilad Shalit and Jonathon Pollard were discussed and passed by votes of 11-0 and 7-1, respectively. They were sent for further discussion to the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee.
• International Environment Day was marked with an address to Knesset by Deputy Speaker Levi-Abekasis. A motion on the topic was discussed but not voted on.
• Environment Minister Erdan answered five queries at the end of the session.

 

Bills Summary

Amendment to the Protecting the Public from Sex Offenders Bill

Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman Rotem (Y.B.) explained the amendment would expand the definition of a sex offender to include those who create, publish or own material in which minors are doing illegal things under the current law. He noted that sexual abuse would also be added to this bill.

The bill passed its second reading 14-0.

The bill passed its third reading 14-0.

Amendment to the Penal Code Bill

Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman Rotem explained the amendment would raise the age until which parents are required to clothe and feed their children from 14 to 16. He noted the punishment for not doing so is six months jail time.

The bill passed its second reading 14-0.

The bill passed its third reading 14-0.

MK Levi-Abekasis (Y.B.) thanked the Knesset for passing the last two bills, which she sponsored. She thanked the Knesset for helping protect the public from sex offenders and for protecting children from neglect.

Amendment to the Environmental Protection Bill

MK Khenin (Hadash) explained his amendment would create a national register to which all companies dealing with the release and transfer of chemicals into the environment will have to report. He said that he can’t explain the 32 pages of the bill but assured it is in the spirit of International Environment Day and Israel’s requirements from the OECD.

Environment Minister Erdan (Likud) expressed government support for the bill and praised International Environment Day.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 9-0 and was sent to the Environment Committee.

Amendment to the Banking Customer Service Bill

MK Cabel (Labor) explained his bill would prohibit the collection of early repayment charges on a mortgage during the confiscation of property. He said in other words it would forbid the banks from fining a person who couldn’t pay his mortgage and lost his house to the bank. He stressed that the bill does not apply to industrial and commercial property or those who own more than one house.

The bill passed its first reading 5-0 and was sent to the Finance Committee.

Last Monday’s session lasted about four hours. Eight bills were discussed. Six bills were advanced after passing their first readings, one was advanced after passing its preliminary reading and one bill became law after passing its third reading. Among the bills advanced is one of the largest bills in Israel’s history covering all of Israeli civil law, a bill on releasing prisoners for medical reasons and a bill that will stop the depositing of half of public workers’ vacation pay into a fund for assisting small businesses. MK Eldad opposed two bills; all of the other bills were passed unanimously. Three no-confidence motions on the state of the economy were defeated.

                                                          

Non-Bills Summary

• Kadima’s no-confidence motion titled ‘The Netanyahu government’s failure in the economic sphere, causing price hikes in all sectors of the economy’ was defeated 26-46 with 48 MKs not present.
• Labor and Meretz’s joint no-confidence motion titled ‘The wave of price increases, which speaks to the economy’s state’ was defeated 25-45 with 50 MKs not present.
• Hadash, Ra’am-Ta’al and Balad’s joint no-confidence motion titled ‘The wave of price increases in the economy, specifically the rise of dairy products and the intention to raise the prices of public transportation’ was defeated 20-45 with one MK abstaining and 54 MKs not present.

 

Bills Summary

Amendment to the Disciplinary Law in the Israeli Police and Prison Service Bill

Interior and Environment Committee Chairman Cohen (Shas) explained the amendment would make four cosmetic changes to the disciplinary process for policemen and prison guards. He said that these four changes have already been implemented and should be protected within law.

The bill passed its second reading 33-0.

The bill passed its third reading 36-0.

 Amendment to the Income Tax Ordinance Bill

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen (Shas) explained the amendment would raise the tax on publicly traded companies.

MK Ben Ari (N.U.) told the public not to fear September, the month the Palestinians will bring their statehood bid to the United Nations, nor the so-called September experts, who have resorted to scare tactics because they openly endorse the creation of a Palestinian state.

The bill passed its first reading 22-0 and was sent to the Funds Committee.

Amendment to the Economic Efficiency Implementing the Economic Program for 2009 and 2010 Bill

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen explained the amendment would extend certain programs for an additional six months so they would now expire at the end of 2011.

MK Ben Ari stated that the Jewish organization JOINT is giving grants to the illegal immigrants to return to Sudan and start a business there. He warned this would encourage more illegal immigration.

The bill passed its first reading 16-0 and was sent to the Funds Committee.

Offering Assistance Fund to Companies in Distress Bill

Funds Committee Chairman Gafni (U.T.J.) explained his bill would stop the current situation where public workers are only paid for half of their vacation days while the money for the other half is collected in a fund to assist small businesses. He noted that no one has benefited from that fund except the finance ministry and, therefore, it should be abolished. He said he hoped to bring the second part of the bill in which the workers are returned their money when the coalition falls apart.

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen noted that the fund had been collecting this money since 2009 and the government agrees to stop collecting money for the fund.

Temporary Order Repealing a Partial Payment of Vacation Pay in the Civil Service in 2010 Bill

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen explained the government bill is very similar to Gafni’s bill and that the two bills will be merged together for discussion in committee. He thanked the public workers for the NIS 600 million the government collected for the fund while it was operational.

MK Adatto (Kadima) criticized the fact that the fund was taken from the public sector and not from the private sector. She wondered why the workers union agreed to such an arrangement where NIS 600 million was taken and no one has any idea where the money went.

MK Molla (Kadima) accused the government of zigzagging on yet another bill which they created and are now trying to abolish. He stated that not one company received money from the fund and that the finance ministry enjoyed it and no one has any idea where the money went.

MK Zeev (Shas) asked Molla why every time he gets up to the podium he is screaming and attacking. He suggested that Molla thank the government when they recognize a mistake and try to fix it. He rejected the accusations that the government purposely stole money from its workers and said it was a simple honest mistake and a misunderstanding among a few government ministries. He suggested using the NIS 600 million to build more homes for the poor.

The first bill passed its preliminary reading 21-0 and was sent to the Funds Committee.

The second bill passed its first reading 22-0 and was sent to the Funds Committee.

Civil Law Bill

Justice Minister Neeman explained that this bill has been in the works since the formation of the State in the late 1940s. He said this bill will bring all of the civil laws under one roof and will replace all existing laws from the Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate. He said most of the work on this bill was done between 1968 and 1986 by Neeman’s former Hebrew University professor. He noted the bill contains over a thousand laws which range from inheritance to adoption to contracts. He stated this bill creates the infrastructure to provide an answer in every case that deals with money. He thanked the dozens of former judges who worked on this bill over the last 60 years. He said the law was written in the spirit of the past leaders of Jewish law: the Rambam, Baal Haturim and Rabbi Yosef Caro. He concluded that this bill is another building block in Israeli law independence from previous systems.

MK Eldad (N.U.) said that it is impossible for the 120 MKs to vote on a bill that weighs more than they do when they only had a few hours to read it. He stated he has to vote against this bill because he has no idea what all of the thousand laws are that he is voting on. He mentioned that he was worried that this bill had many hidden laws that might be problematic and stressed he had to vote against it in its first reading.

MK Zeev confessed that he is voting on something he has no clue about but coalition discipline requires that of him. He praised the connection of the Jewish law to this new Israeli bill, which, he was told, was quite significant in many of the new laws.

MK Wilf (Independence) called on the public to read the bill and to find the problematic aspects of it and to report it to their MKs.

Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman Rotem (Y.B.) said this is perhaps the most important bill to hit the Knesset floor this term. He slammed Neeman for expecting his committee to wrap up this bill quickly when it took 60 years for the Justice Ministry to write it. He stressed his committee is not equipped to deal with preparing this bill for the next reading without years of work. He announced that every Sunday and Thursday until the end of the tern his committee will discuss this bill and hopefully it will be passed at some point this decade.

MK Michaeli (Shas) asked Neeman why he didn’t give the MKs more time to read the bill. He told Rotem that he doesn’t plan on attending committee meetings every Sunday and Thursday and that he thinks Rotem will be sitting alone for all of those meetings. He called on Rotem to have a Jewish law expert there for every session to give his opinion on every Israeli law proposal that doesn’t follow Jewish law.

Minister Neeman said he agreed with the principle behind what the five speakers brought up. He asked the Knesset to pass the bill in its first reading and to let the Law Committee do its work.

The bill passed its first reading 11-1 and was sent to the Law Committee.

Amendment to the Parole from Prison Bill

Justice Minister Neeman explained the amendment would expand the authority of the parole board that authorizes a prisoner release for medical reasons. He said that prisoners that are in the hospital awaiting their death should no longer be designated as prisoners since they will never return to prison and the country wastes resources on them, such as security detail.

MK Eldad warned Neeman is setting a new standard for releasing prisoners that the public no longer has an interest in keeping. He stressed that is a dangerous precedent that will lead to public interest releasing prisoners for a wide range of reasons. He slammed the bill that also allows security prisoners and terrorists to be released through this new law.

MK Zeev supported the bill and said for humanitarian reasons dying people should be released. He praised Neeman and attacked Eldad. He suggested reinstating the prison warden as a member of the parole board since he knows the prisoners best. He wondered why wardens have been demoted to observers.

The bill passed its first reading 7-1 and was sent to the Justice Committee.

Amendment to the National Parks, Nature Reserves, National Sites and Memorial Sites Bill

Environment Minister Erdan (Likud) explained the bill would increase the term limit, currently one term of four years, on the National Parks, Nature Reserves, National Sites and Memorial Sites Council. He said the bill will allow members of the council to be reelected twice and serve three terms.

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

Last Wednesday’s session lasted about nine and a half hours. 18 bills were discussed. Nine bills were advanced after passing their preliminary readings, seven bills were turned into motions to avoid defeat and two bills were defeated. The many bills advanced address placing sanctions on Israeli companies that work with Iran, sentencing security prisoners to the remainder of their previous term if they were released during a prisoner swap, presenting awards for corruption whistleblowers, forcing local authorities to paint their curbs before collecting money from drivers, allowing former army officers to teach in schools while collecting their pension and dividing up a husband’s pension in divorce settlements, among other things. MK Tirosh (Kadima) gave Prime Minister Netanyahu a container of cottage cheese during the 40-MK signature session as Netanyahu ate wafers. The European Parliament President addressed the Knesset in Polish.

 

Non-Bills Summary

• Minister Begin (Likud), Deputy Finance Minister Cohen (Shas) and Environment Minister Erdan (Likud) answered urgent queries at the beginning of the session.
• European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek was welcomed with a warm speech by Speaker Rivlin. Buzek addressed the plenum in Polish.
• The Knesset brought in Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak on the subject of “The Netanyahu government’s failure in the political, economic and social sectors” by the mandate of 40 MKs’ signatures. 16 MKs spoke before Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Opposition Leader Livni spoke after him. The Knesset accepted Netanyahu’s speech by a vote of 37-25.
• Six motions were discussed and sent to various committees for further discussion by the votes 11-1, 7-0, 7-0, 6-0, 5-0 and 4-0.

Bills Summary

Amendment to the Rabbinical Courts Bill

MK Orlev (J.H.) explained his amendment would strengthen restraining orders and sanctions on those refusing divorce and the supervision of the implementation of the court decisions in that regard.

Minister Begin (Likud) expressed government support for the bill. He recalled when he had to step in as a judge and how much it bothered him to wear a jacket and tie.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 17-0 and was sent to the Justice Committee.

Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance Bill

MK Orbach (J.H.) explained his amendment would place the duty of marking curbs within municipal boundaries on the local authorities. He explained that if the local authority doesn’t paint the curbs red and white or blue and white it will not be able to collect money or fines from drivers in that area. He stressed the cities must spend money on paint if they want to put their hand into the drivers’ wallets.

Transportation Minister Katz (Likud) expressed government support for the bill.

MK Tibi (R.T.) objected to the bill on the grounds that the government isn’t living up to their responsibilities towards the transportation infrastructure for the Israeli-Arab towns.

MK Hotovely (Likud) defended the bill and said this will prevent cities from fining or charging drivers in cases where there is no paint on the curbs.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 27-0 and was sent to the Finance Committee.

Amendment to the Prohibiting Investment in Corporations that Maintain a Business Relationship with Iran Bill

MK Shama (Likud) explained his amendment would prohibit all Israeli companies from having any communication with the Iranian government or Iranian companies. He said that Israel must place the same sanctions on Israelis that contact Iran as the Americans already have. He said the punishment includes fines of millions of shekels and jail time.

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen (Shas) expressed government support for the bill on the preliminary reading but said Shama will have to wait for government support on the bill’s next steps.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 24-0 and was sent to the Finance Committee.

Amendment to the Terms of Release from Imprisonment to Probation Bill

MK Danon (Likud) explained his amendment would require security prisoners who committed crimes for nationalistic reasons and were released in a prisoner swap and who return to terrorism to finish their first sentence before starting their second. He announced that he is pulling the bill because the government wants to expand it.

Minister Begin expressed government support for the bill and asked Danon not to pull it. He said the government will advance a larger-scale bill later but it is important to send a message to the prisoners by passing this bill now.

MK Tibi objected to the bill on the grounds that all security prisoners should be released at once. He suggested releasing all the Arabs from prison in return for Gilad Shalit. He warned Danon not to try the Palestinian prisoners because they will fight back.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 17-9 and was sent to the Justice Committee.

Amendment to the Local Authorities Elections Funding Bill

MK Gafni (U.T.J.) explained his amendment would place the financial responsibility of joint electoral party factions on the biggest party and not the others in local elections. He noted the government has no opinion on the bill because it is an internal party matter.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 24-0 and was sent to the Interior Committee.

Amendment to the Career Service in the Israel Defense Forces Bill

MK Haim Katz (Likud) explained his amendment would allow army retirees to teach in schools and still be eligible for their army pensions.

Education Minister Sa’ar (Likud) expressed government support for the bill and said this will improve the quality of teachers in the schools.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 22-0 and was sent to the Labor Committee.

Dividing Pension Rights between Couples Bill

MK Gal-On (Meretz) explained her original bill would divide the pension of the husband so that the wife receives half of it in a divorce settlement.

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen expressed government support for the bill.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 26-0 and was sent to the Welfare Committee.

Herding Bill

MK Hermesh (Kadima) explained his original bill would cover every law necessary for shepherds including territory, animal rights, natural resources, arguments between shepherds and more. He concluded by saying that, as a farmer, he knows that you can make a profit on cottage cheese at 5 shekels and that 8 shekels is ridiculous.

Agriculture Minister Noked (Independence) expressed government support for the bill.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 30-1 and was sent to the Finance Committee. MK Tirosh (Kadima) voted against the bill.

Amendment to the Encouraging Public Service Integrity Bill

MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima) explained his amendment would grant authority to the President of Israel to give a certificate of appreciation to those who reveal corruption. He praised corruption whistleblowers and called on more of them to come forth. He concluded by calling the three cottage cheese companies a cartel and called on the entire public to boycott their products.

Minister Begin expressed government support for the bill. He disagreed with Hasson’s cartel remark and warned him to be careful with what he says on the Knesset podium.

The bill passed its preliminary reading 38-0 and was sent to the State Control Committee.

Motion/Amendment to the Social Security Bill

MK Adatto (Kadima) explained her amendment would lower the social security payments of students who are studying medicine in an institution of higher education abroad to the level of those who are studying medicine in Israel. She said that today those who learn abroad pay two and a half times more than those who learn here. She noted only about 1,500 students would be affected by this bill.

Labor and Welfare Minister Kahlon (Likud) said he agrees in principle with the bill but explained it was written vaguely and could cause problems of discrimination. He suggested turning the bill into a motion in order to discuss it further in committee. Adatto agreed.

The motion passed 38-0 and was sent to the Welfare Committee.

Motion/Amendment to the Security Agency Bill

MK Bibi (Kadima) explained his amendment would require a criminal record check before assigning someone to the Border Police.

Intelligence Minister Meridor (Likud) expressed government opposition to the bill and suggested turning the bill into a motion. Bibi agreed.

The motion passed 46-0 and was sent to the Defense Committee.

Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance Amendment Bill

MK Tiviaev (Kadima) explained his amendment would prohibit the sale of cars that don’t have a seatbelt alert. He added that the duty of installing an audio alert for the driver’s and front passenger’s seatbelt will be placed on the owner of the car. He noted that 12,500 people have been injured over the last eight years because they didn’t wear their seatbelts and that 80% of those accidents occurred in urban areas. He suggested the ministers place their citizens’ lives over politics and support the bill. He placed responsibility for every death that could have been saved by a seatbelt solely on the Israeli government.

Transportation Minister Katz explained that the manufacturers don’t place such alerts on cars sent to Israel and there is a financial aspect to passing such a bill. He said that he supports the bill but the government is opposed to it. He mentioned that even if this law was passed it doesn’t mean that people would listen to the alert and buckle up. He suggested turning the bill into a motion.

MK Tiviaev stressed that 40-50 people die each year because they didn’t buckle up and he places the blame for those deaths on the Israeli government. He rejected the offer to turn the bill into motion.

Transportation Minister Katz asked once again that Tiviaev turn the bill into a motion.

MK Tiviaev rejected the offer for a second time and told the government to accept some responsibility.

The bill was defeated 22-32.

Motion/Amendment to the Criminal Procedure Bill

MK Solodkin (Kadima) explained her amendment would place a prohibition on interrogations and investigations of a suspect at night. She said that these methods are causing innocent people to sign confession papers under duress and she hoped this bill will fix that. She equated current Israeli techniques with those used by the former Soviet Union.

Minister Begin said he agreed in principle with the bill and asked Solodkin if she was willing to turn the bill into a motion. He expressed government opposition to the bill but did not specify why.  Solodkin agreed.

The motion passed 23-0 and was sent to the Justice Committee.

Amendment to the Benefits for Prisoners of Zion and their Families Bill

Labor and Welfare Minister Kahlon explained Solodkin’s amendment would offer an annual grant to the Zion prisoners, who were imprisoned and exiled by the Soviet Union, and said it was a great bill. He agreed that something should be done for the 800 prisoners and asked Solodkin to turn the bill into a motion until the bill receives government support.

MK Solodkin thanked the government for supporting the principle but refused to turn the bill into a motion or to wait for government support before resubmitting her bill.

The bill was defeated 12-24.

Minister Noked voted for the bill though the government opposed it. Deputy Speaker Akunis (Likud) informed Minister Noked that if she voted against the government position she would be automatically fired according to law and suggested she state she voted incorrectly. Noked said she voted incorrectly and was not fired.

Two Motions/Amendments to the Social Security Bill

MK Gilon (Meretz) explained his amendment would grant all people on disability welfare a pension. He said the average welfare a handicapped person receives per month is NIS 2,210. He said his bill would also raise the maximum monthly welfare payment from NIS 2,503 to NIS 3,560.

MK Khenin (Hadash) praised Gilon and explained his similar bill would also help disabled people. He said his bill would double the welfare payment for the disabled and raise it even more for those who don’t have jobs.

Labor and Welfare Minister Kahlon expressed government opposition to the bills on the grounds that they would cost six billion shekels to implement. He suggested turning the bills into motions in order to examine whether there are people who really can’t work and, if so, what extra money they should receive.

MK Gilon confessed he didn’t think the government would find the budget for his bill. He stressed the current situation is unacceptable and agreed to turn the bill into a motion. He stressed a mandatory pension is needed to protect the disabled after retirement age.

MK Khenin agreed to turn his bill into a motion as well and to merge it with Gilon’s.

The two motions passed 11-0 and were sent to the Welfare Committee.

Amendment to the Tenders Bill

MK Swaid (Hadash) explained his amendment would introduce affirmative action in order for the Arab population to have representation in government tenders of the high-tech industry. He said the current affirmative action for Arabs doesn’t include high-tech and that is discrimination. He called on the government to find high quality jobs for the Arab population.

Deputy Finance Minister Cohen expressed government opposition to the bill on the grounds that government tenders are not a place for affirmative action. He said the point of a tender is to find the best company for the job. He added that this bill would discriminate against other minority groups. He asked if Swaid would turn the bill into a motion, and Swaid agreed. MK Rotem (Y.B.) added this bill is racist against anyone who isn’t Arab.

The motion passed 8-2 and was sent to the Finance Committee.

Amendment to the Council for Higher Education Bill

MK Ganaim (R.T.) explained his amendment would abolish the minimum age for studying certain subjects, such as medicine, which now stands at 19. He said he saw no reason why someone who graduates high school at a young age would have to wait until he is 19 to learn certain subjects. He noted that students in most democratic countries start college at 17 or 18 and he didn’t understand where the number 19 came from.

Education Minister Sa’ar expressed government opposition to the bill and said that most democratic countries only allow medicine and other studies as a second degree and students are therefore well over the age of 19. He said that some kids are too immature to deal with complicated situations and it is worth it to make them wait until they mature. He suggested turning the bill into a motion, and Ganaim agreed.

The motion passed 8-0 and was sent to the Education Committee.