After sharp confrontation: Knesset approved raising number of ministers

After a stormy debate, this evening (Monday) the Knesset plenum approved in first reading the bill to increase the number of ministers and deputy ministers. The law passed by a majority of 61 Knesset members facing 59 opponents.

The proposal seeks to return to the Basic Law, the institution of ministers without portfolio and establish a temporary order that limits on the number of ministers and deputy ministers who were supposed to apply to the next cabinet will not apply to a government that was established during the twentieth Knesset term.


Photo: Avi Schiff

Chairman of the Zionist camp Yitzchak Herzog criticized the proposal, saying: "The Jewish Home received NIS 160 million annually for the benefit of goals which their MKs see fit, so too United Torah Judaism and Shas. 20 million per MK. You know what drugs one could finance with these funds and how many lives would have been saved with this money? instead of spending money on lifesaving windbreakers in armored carriers, for soldiers in the Gaza area or assistants in kindergartens. 20 million for each MK is for political spending and breaks all imaginable peaks of cynicism. All this in order for Netanyahu to survive in the prime minister's house and to head the weakest government there ever was."

MK Zeev Elkin responded: "When I listen to the voices during the day in this discussion I am convinced all over again how there is no limit to the cynicism. I suggest to MK Herzog to go back to the coalition agreements of 2009. All the things that you assaulted appeared in these agreements, but then it didn't bother you because you were a minister. If this is so in principle, where were you then? You know that if you were able to form a government you would give the same and double that. Everyone knows how you courted these party leaders throughout the election campaign."

The bill will be transferred to a special committee to be set up in order to handle this law, subject to approval by the Assembly. The second and third readings will come up tomorrow.

Subsequently, the Knesset approved the establishment of a special commission with a majority of 60 against 58 members of Knesset. MK Haim Katz of Likud and Orly Levy Abaksis of Yisrael Beiteinu were absent from the voting and were deducted, despite opposition remarks that there will be no offsets.

The composition of the committee will include 11 members of the Knesset. Likud faction - MKs Zeev Elkin and Yoav Kish; Faction of the Zionist camp - MK Merav Michaeli; the Joint Faction - MK Osama Saadi; Yesh Atid faction - MK Ofer Shelah; Kulanu faction - MK Roy Folkman; Jewish Home faction - MK Ayelet Shaked; Shas - MK Yaakov Margi; Israel Beiteinu faction - MK Robert Iltov; United Torah Judaism - MK Meir Porush; Meretz - MK Michal Rozin. Chairman of the Committee will be MK Zeev Elkin.

MK Michal Rozin said that she applied to the research and information center of the Knesset on the costs of expanding the government. "According to what they calculated, every minister would cost the public budget approximately NIS 3 million a year. A deputy minister will cost NIS 1.16 million. All this is just about the expenditure of the minister and staff. But when he is appointed, he then starts rolling all kinds of projects, headquarters, functions etc. The budget of Strategic Affairs Ministry came to NIS 34 million, for example, but the real cost is the cost of the seriousness of democracy and respect of the public for us, that is the real and high price which the Israeli democracy pays".

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!