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World Jewish News
Knesset session to open with slew of no-confidence motions
04.05.2009
The 18th Knesset opens its summer session Monday with speeches marking the anniversary of Theodor Herzl's death, followed by a debate on no less than five no-confidence motions submitted by each of the five opposition parties, beginning with Kadima.
Kadima's no-confidence motion, dealing with the "confused policies of the Netanyahu government" will be followed by additional motions proposed by New Movement-Meretz, Hadash, United Arab List-Ta'al and Balad.
The 18th Knesset boasts the largest cabinet in Israel's history, posing challenges for the legislators, and - according to Kadima faction chairwoman MK Dalia Itzik - "weakening" the Knesset.
The lawmakers took their oaths of office in February, and shortly thereafter they went on the holiday break. The more than 30 new MKs have all attended a workshop on parliamentary work.
Since the 18th Knesset was sworn in, lawmakers have submitted to the Knesset secretariat more than 800 bills on a variety of issues, many of which were submitted in the past by other MKs.
The House Committee is expected to convene Monday for its first meeting to determine the make-up of the Knesset's 17 committees by faction as well as by individual MK.
Two committees have been operating on a temporary footing - the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Tzachi Hanegbi (Kadima), and the Finance Committee, chaired by MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism). The House Committee will also decide the date when the summer session ends, and when the winter session will begin, in addition to numerous other technical matters.
The second Netanyahu cabinet, numbering 30 ministers and 8 deputy ministers, is the largest cabinet in the state's history - with one-quarter of the parliament consisting of ministers. This could effect the Knesset's functioning, since it is doubtful the ministers will neglect their portfolios and devote most of their time to legislating. The ministers will probably come to the Knesset mainly to give speeches to the plenum and take part in important votes.
The large number of cabinet members means they will have to bear a heavy workload, since in addition to their ministerial posts, they will have to serve on a relatively large number of committees. There will probably be a good many absences at committee meetings, since these meetings are usually held at the same time. Such absences could mean that the coalition's impact on such committees will be reduced.
Because of the cabinet's large size, an additional table has already been placed in the session hall so the ministers can all sit together.
One change has already been made at the legislature: The dress code instituted by former Knesset speaker MK Dalia Itzik (Kadima) - prohibiting jeans or sandals - was canceled by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) as one of his first official acts.
Itzik, who is the Kadima faction chairwoman, told Haaretz Sunday that she believed the large cabinet, the outcome of complex coalition agreements, has left practically no Likud lawmakers to serve on committees. According to Itzik, Likud wants deputy ministers to sit on the various committees, a situation she said runs the risk of rendering the Knesset "unimportant," and "sabotages the separation of the executive branch from the legislative branch." Itzik said that if she sees evidence of such practice, she will appeal to the High Court.
Itzik defended the dress code she had instituted, noting that, "In no other parliament in the world do people come in jeans, T-shirts and the like. The fact that 99 percent of MKs do not come in jeans to the Knesset shows that such a dress code is the right thing. I regret that the first action taken by Rivlin, who said he would deal with essential issues, was to cancel the dress code."
By Yuval Azoulay
Источник: Haaretz
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