Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin says conditions are ripe for permanent constitution, saying “The election results show that Israelis have reset their priorities & prove that many are no longer resigned to having the peace process top the agenda,”
By Gideon Allo
The next Knesset is more likely to draft a constitution, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin told a forum at the Israel Democracy Institute on Monday.
Speaker Reuven Rivlin says Israel may get a constitution because of the election results. – Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
“In the 19th Knesset conditions are going to be more ripe for drafting a constitution. The election results show that Israelis have reset their priorities and prove that many are no longer resigned to having the peace process top the agenda. This domestic agenda will greatly impact the nature of the incoming Knesset,” said Rivlin, who was at the institute for the publication of a new book, “Building Democracy on Sand,” by IDI President Dr. Arye Carmon,
Israel has no formal constitution, although it has what are known as Basic Laws, which guarantee certain basic liberties and determine the system of government and how elections are held.
“The [next] Knesset will be dominated by issues that relate to how to make the burden of national service shared in a more just way, how to enhance education in Israel and how to improve relations among the various segments of society,” Rivlin said.
“These issues will dominate the Knesset’s agenda just as much as, or even more than, foreign policy or other economic matters. A constitution should not be a patchwork of things; it should be legislated in a coherent and comprehensive fashion. The Knesset has the means, the authority and the proper agenda for pushing forward a well-written constitution and presenting it to the public.”
View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=7216
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