Tag Archive for Knesset

| May 22, 2013
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Knesset Vote passes ‘Jenin, Jenin Law’, protecting the slander of IDF soldiers

Knesset gives approval to bill that would now allow soldiers to sue when slander of the IDF is general and not directed against a specific soldier.

By Maayana Miskin

 

 

The Knesset has approved a law prohibiting slander of IDF soldiers in an initial vote. The bill was put forth by MKs Yoni Chetboun (Bayit Yehudi), Yariv Levin (Likud Beytenu), and Nachman Shai (Labor).

It has been dubbed the “Jenin, Jenin bill” after the libelous documentary “Jenin, Jenin.” While the documentary was found to have contained lies, including accusations of murder, the soldiers accused were unable to file suit because no one individual soldier had been accused. Continue Reading »

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| May 6, 2013
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Legislation committee approves Yisrael Beytenu’s electoral-reform bill

The Knesset’s legislation committee approved a bill seeking to raise election threshold and limit no-confidence motions against gov’t.

By LAHAV HARKOV

 

 

 

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a controversial Yisrael Beytenu electoral reform bill Monday.

Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman at press conference, March 18, 2013

Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

The legislation proposed by Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee chairman David Rotem (Yisrael Beytenu) would increase the election threshold to four percent, limit the number of ministers including the prime minister to 19 and deputy ministers to four.

In addition, the bill would require no-confidence motions to be submitted by at least 61 MKs and to include an alternative candidate for prime minister.

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| April 30, 2013
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Arab MK after Terrorist Kills Jew: “Settlers have no right to self-defense.”

Arab MK Zahalka refuses to condemn the stabbing to death of a young father of 5 saying ‘Settlers have no right to self defense.’

By Maayana Miskin

 

Member of Knesset Jamal Zahalka has refused to condemn the murder Tuesday of a young father-of-five. A terrorist stabbed actor Evyatar “Napo” Borovsky to death as he waited for a ride at the Tapuach Junction.

Zahalka, of the controversial Balad party, declined to condemn the slaying during a heated debate with MK Orit Struk and others over a proposal to allow Jews living in Judea and Samaria (Shomron) to shoot home invaders, as is legal elsewhere in Israel. Continue Reading »

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| April 24, 2013
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MK Strock seeks law to also allow settlers to defend property with live fire

MK Orit Strock seeks equality under the law for settlers who “obey [the] rules of engagement, don’t shoot at burglars, & are forced to absorb heavy losses” whereas other Israelis don’t.

By

 

 

Settlers should have the same right to defend their property under the so-called Dromi Law as Israelis who live within the Green Line, MK Orit Strock (Habayit Hayehudi‏) said Tuesday.

Orit Strock

Orit Strock – Photo: Michal Fattal

Instead, she charged, their rights are restricted by the Israel Defense Forces’ rules of engagement.

She is therefore demanding that the rules be changed to allow settlers to confront “nationalist attacks” against Jewish property with live fire. Continue Reading »

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| March 19, 2013
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PM Netanyahu introduces new gov’t: We’re putting our differences aside

Netanyahu tells new gov’t that the “threats facing Israel are greater than ever,” and that demands unity

Opposition Leader Yachimovich criticized the Knesset’s new leadership, saying country is divided into the rich represented by gov’t, and the needy.

By Gideon Allon, Shlomo Cesana and Yori Yalon

 

After a long election process and a subsequent exhausting coalition nego

tiation, the 33rd government of Israel was sworn in on Monday, officially kicking off. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s third term at the helm. As of Tuesday, the members of the 33rd government were already hard at work.

“Assembling the coalition was difficult.” Members of the 33rd government gather at the Knesset on Monday.

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| March 18, 2013
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PM at Knesset: Without Israel, There is No Jewish Future

Binyamin Netanyahu said that his number one objective as Prime Minister of Israel is to “ensure the future of the Jewish people”

By David Lev

 

At the opening of the Knesset session which will ratify the new government, Binyamin Netanyahu said that his objective as Prime Minister is to “ensure the future of the Jewish people” by ensuring the future of the State of Israel. “There is no Jewish future without an Israel,” Netanyahu said.

 

Netanyahu, who is forming his third government, said he was aware of the responsibility on his shoulders. “We have been given a valuable deposit, that of the state of Israel, and the country’s citizens expect us to pass it on in good condition to the government that comes after us,” he said. Continue Reading »

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| March 17, 2013
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Bennett to head panel to break up power consortiums & lower living costs

Bennett to push legislation already submitted to the Knesset on the dismantlement or limits of corporate concentration of economic power.

 

Habayit Hayehudi party leader Naftali Bennett is not only slated to become the new government’s minister of industry, trade and labor − he is also tabbed to head a cabinet committee to seek ways of reducing the cost of living and breaking up the concentration of economic power. Meanwhile, Bennett’s ministry is to be renamed the Economics and Trade Ministry.

Naftali Bennett

Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett. – Photo: AP

In negotiations on the formation of a new government, Bennett demanded that efforts be made to pass legislation already submitted to the Knesset on the issue of corporate concentration of economic power. Continue Reading »

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| March 11, 2013
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WATCH: Knesset member’s plea to President Obama: Don’t allow Pollard to die in prison

Watch American-born, Yesh Atid MK Dov Lipman as he recounts the day he heard of Pollard’s arrest in front of the Israeli embassy.

Listen to his emotional plea to Obama and his call to the people of Israel, to pray daily for Pollard’s release.

 

U.S.-born Knesset member Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid) made a personal appeal to President Obama from the Knesset podium “not to let Jonathan Pollard die in prison.”

Dov Lipman addressing the Knesset, March 2013 - Youtube Screeshot

Dov Lipman addressing the Knesset, March 2013 – Youtube Screenshot

Speaking in the Knesset last week, Lipman said he had planned to use the platform of the Knesset podium to address President Obama in English but found out that speaking in English “is, regrettably prohibited by the Knesset bylaws.” Continue Reading »

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| March 11, 2013
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Outgoing Barak: We can’t rely on friends’ help to defend Israel

The outgoing Defense Minister tells Knesset Foreign Defense Committee in his farewell speech, that no power in region has the ability to attack Israel with ‘air forces & armored divisions.’

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Outgoing Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned lawmakers Monday that Israel could not rely even on its best friends when it came to its security, whatever pledges they made to defend Israel.
Outgoing MK Defense Minister Ehud Barak and MK Avigdor Liberman, March 11, 2013 Photo- Courtesy Ministry of Defense

Outgoing MK Defense Minister Ehud Barak and MK Avigdor Liberman, March 11, 2013 – Photo: Courtesy Ministry of Defense

“When the world, including our good friends, says ‘don’t worry, we’ll know to take care of even the worst case scenarios’, I say, don’t take that for granted”, Barak said in his parting address to the Knesset Foreign and Defense Committee.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| March 6, 2013
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Lieberman: Defense Committee Hearings Closed to Media

 

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz appeared before the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, and in line with a new policy, no information was passed to media on what was said.

Gideon Allon

 

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee decided on Tuesday to impose a blackout on an appearance of Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz before the committee, even though Gantz’s statements contained no secret information, according to people who were present.

The head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Avigdor Lieberman approved the decision to bar the media from reporting on some of the committee’s meetings.

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| February 24, 2013
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Yesh Atid initiates a new Knesset Bible study group

Having been labeled anti-religious by some ultra-Orthodox leaders, Yesh Atid has since been the most dominant party getting  Israelis to study the Bible.

By  Israel Today Staff

 

We have already reported several times on Benjamin Netanyahu’s revival of the Prime Minister’s Bible Study group in Israel. Now the Knesset is getting in on the trend with the establishment of its own weekly sessions of scriptural enlightenment.

Bible – israeltoday.co.il

The initiative came from one of the new Knesset parties, the centrist Yesh Atid, which fields both secular and religious lawmakers.

Despite running an election campaign that emphasized an end to army exemptions for and exaggerated welfare payouts to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector, and subsequently being labeled anti-religious by ultra-Orthodox leaders, Yesh Atid has since the election been the most outspoken party about getting more Israelis to study the Bible. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| February 19, 2013
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Knesset Legal Counsel warns MKs: Leak secrets & be prosecuted

After 3 MKs exposed ‘Zygier affair’ during live broadcast from plenum, Knesset’s Legal Counsel says immunity won’t protect lawmakers disclosing state secrets.

Moran Azulay

 

After a number of Knesset members urged Justice Minister Yaakov Ne’eman to address allegations that an Australian national committed suicide in an Israeli prison, thereby blowing the cover off the “Prisoner X” affair, the issue of parliamentary immunity upon revealing State secrets has become a sensitive matter.

MK Ahmed TibiKnesset Legal Advisor Eyal Yinon determined Monday that Knesset members cannot disclose state secrets to the Knesset plenum and then utilize their parliamentary immunity.

Immunity for revealing State secrets would be applied to an MK if he or she spoke without preplanning, “in the heat of an argument or in response to things said,” Yinon said, but “preplanning a statement – that is in fact a felony that cannot be protected by immunity and a member of Knesset can be prosecuted for the said felony, as can any other person.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| February 12, 2013
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MKs blow off censored event in Knesset

In Knesset assembly, MK Tibi asks: Is it true an Australian citizen under a different identity committed suicide in an Israeli prison?

Justice minister replies that he doesn’t know if foreign reports are accurate & the incident should be investigated.

 

The citizens of Israel will eventually learn information on a sensitive security case that was censored by the government, MKs told Justice Minister Ya’acov Ne’eman.

MK Ahmed Tibi“An article was published that an Australian prisoner committed suicide under a different identity. Do you know about the situation? Do you confirm that it occurred?” MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL-Ta’al) asked, in reference to a report by Australia’s ABC news. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| February 7, 2013
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MK Shaked Promotes Bill: Block Enemies of State From Suing Israel

New MK Ayelet Shaked is already promoting a new bill that will thwart foreign nationals from enemy countries from suing Israel for damages.

By Elad Benari

 

New MK Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi) is already hard at work on a new Knesset bill.

MK ShakedShaked, who was sworn in on Tuesday along with the rest of the members of the 19th Knesset, is promoting a bill that will thwart any possibility that nationals from enemy countries could sue the State of Israel for damages.

The bill comes in the wake of the case filed against the State by Mustafa Dirani, a Hizbullah terrorist who held missing IAF navigator Ron Arad for several years and was believed to have information on what happened to him.

Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| February 6, 2013
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Arab MKs Exit Quickly Before ‘Hatikva’ is Sung

Many Arab MKs rush out before Hatikva, Israel’s national anthem is played. One MK: As an Arab, the anthem oppresses & humiliates me.

Hatikva expresses the Jewish longing to return & be a free people in the Jewish homeland & in Jerusalem.

By Maayana Miskin

 

The 19th Knesset began work Tuesday with much fanfare. Media coverage of the emotional scenes from the end of the day, as the national anthem Hatikva played, missed one important detail: that many Arab MKs were no longer present.

A Knesset Channel camera caught one MK, the controversial Hanin Zoabi, rushing to grab her bag and leave immediately after taking her oath as an MK. Continue Reading »

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