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Private member's bill · 23rd Knesset · published as law 7 May 2020

חוק ממשלת חילופים (תיקון חקיקה והוראת שעה), התש"ף-2020Law on Transitional Government (legislative amendments and temporary provision), 2020 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית

Topics: Military and defense*, Government and elections* · * from the Knesset's official law classification

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

The Law sought to make a series of changes to the Government Law, 2001, the Parties Financing Law, 1973, and the General Security Service Law, 2002, which complement the arrangements adopted in the Basic Law: The Government (Amendment No. 8 and temporary provision), which anchored the establishment of a rotation government (a "government of alternation"). In the amendment to the Government Law, the provisions regarding a pending indictment against the Prime Minister were applied to the Alternate Prime Minister, the government's obligation to notify the Knesset of the replacement of a minister and of the termination of the term of a minister or deputy minister in a rotation government was anchored, as well as an obligation to publish in the official gazette details concerning the rotation government, the appointment of a minister or deputy minister and their affiliations, and more; in the amendment to the Parties Financing Law, established as a temporary provision, the entitlement to financing of ongoing expenses of a faction that split from a faction created due to a split was regulated; and in the amendment to the General Security Service Law, the number of members on the Ministerial Committee for Service Affairs was increased during the term of a rotation government.

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Hebrew original

החוק ביקש לערוך שורה של שינויים בחוק הממשלה, התשס"א–2001, חוק מימון מפלגות, התשל"ג–1973 וחוק שירות הביטחון הכללי, התשס"ב–2002 המשלימים את ההסדרים שהתקבלו בחוק-יסוד: הממשלה (תיקון מס' 8 והוראת שעה) – שעיגן את הקמתה של ממשלת רוטציה ("ממשלת חילופים"). בתיקון לחוק הממשלה, הוחלו ההוראות לעניין כתב אישום תלוי ועומד כנגד ראש הממשלה, על ראש הממשלה החלופי, עוגנה חובת הממשלה להודיע לכנסת על מילוי מקומו של שר ועל הפסקת כהונה של שר או סגן שר בממשלת חילופים וחובה לפרסם ברשומות פרטים הנוגעים לממשלת החילופים, למינוי שר או סגן שר וזיקותיהם ועוד; בתיקון לחוק מימון מפלגות, שנקבע כהוראת שעה, הוסדרה הזכאות למימון הוצאות שוטפות של חלק שהתפלג מסיעה שקמה עקב התפלגות; ובתיקון לחוק שירות הביטחון הכללי הוגדל מספר החברים בוועדת השרים לענייני השירות בתקופת ממשלת חילופים.

Sponsors

Eitan Ginzburg, Makhluf Miki Zohar, Avi Nissenkorn, Yaakov Asher, Yoav Ben Tzur, Itzik Shmuli, Orly Levi-Abekasis, Zvi Hauser

Readings

What was said in the plenum

The bill seeks to amend Basic Law: The Government so as to allow the establishment of a rotation government between two prime ministers, including setting an expanded number of ministers and deputy ministers, a temporary ban on legislation, a special majority required to bring down the government, and more, with the aim of establishing a unity government against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis and three consecutive election campaigns. The debate centered on whether this is a necessary step for governmental stability during a crisis, or improper legislation intended to serve personal and political interests, inflate the government, and harm democratic principles and the status of the court.

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Hebrew original

הצעת החוק מבקשת לתקן את חוק-יסוד: הממשלה כך שיאפשר הקמת ממשלת חילופים (רוטציה) בין שני ראשי ממשלה, כולל קביעת מספר שרים וסגני שרים מורחב, איסור זמני על חקיקה, רוב מיוחס להפלת הממשלה ועוד, במטרה לכונן ממשלת אחדות על רקע משבר הקורונה ושלוש מערכות בחירות רצופות. הדיון נסב סביב השאלה האם מדובר בצעד הכרחי ליציבות שלטונית בעת משבר, או בחקיקה פסולה שנועדה לשרת אינטרסים אישיים ופוליטיים, לנפח את הממשלה ולפגוע בעקרונות דמוקרטיים ובמעמד בית המשפט.

Arguments for

  • The country is in a severe governmental crisis and an unprecedented health-economic crisis, and only a broad unity government can bring it out of the deadlock and prevent an unnecessary and costly fourth election.
    Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White), Yoav Kisch (Likud), Shlomo Karhi (Likud)
  • The Law does not change the democratic system of government but only adds an additional, temporary track for forming a government alongside the existing track, similar to the precedent of the 1984 rotation government.
    Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White)
  • Unity between the large blocs makes it possible to advance important national goals such as applying sovereignty in the territories.
    Yoav Kisch (Likud), איילת שקד
  • The Supreme Court exceeded its role and infringes on the powers of the sovereign and the elected government, and therefore its power should be restrained and its criticism of the agreement should not be seen as grounds for invalidating it.
    Matan Kahana (Yamina), Ofir Sofer (Yamina)
  • There is a need to unite the public and reduce the polarization and hatred that have deepened in recent years.
    Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White), Shlomo Karhi (Likud)

Arguments against

None were made.

Who spoke (45)
MemberFactionReadingsSpeechesIn the final vote
Eitan GinzburgBlue and White oppositionThird reading3for
Yair LapidYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading2against
Nitzan HorowitzMeretz oppositionThird reading2against
Osama SaadiJoint List oppositionThird reading2against
Alex KushnirYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading2no record
Tamar ZandbergMeretz oppositionThird reading1against
Jaber AsaklaJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Avigdor LibermanYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading2no record
Yoav KischLikud coalitionThird reading1for
Gadeer Kamal-MreehYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Saeed AlkharumiJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Orly FromanYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Eli AvidarYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading2against
Oded ForerYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading2against
Moshe Ya`alonYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Iman Khatib YassinJoint List oppositionThird reading1no record
Ram Ben BarakYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Aida Touma SlimanJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Matan KahanaYamina coalitionThird reading1no record
Ofir SoferYamina coalitionThird reading1no record
Samy Abu ShahadehJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Yoav SegalovitzYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading2against
Evgeny SovaYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading3against
Orna BarbivayYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading2against
Andrey KozhinovYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Boaz ToporovskyYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading2against
Yoel RazvozovYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Mickey LevyYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1no record
Elazar SternYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Idan RollYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Ofer CassifJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Waleed TahaJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Sondos SalehJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Mtanes ShihadehJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Yousef JabareenJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Bezalel SmotrichYamina coalitionThird reading1no record
Yair GolanMeretz oppositionThird reading1against
Hamad AmarYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Heba YazbakJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Shlomo KarhiLikud coalitionThird reading1for
Ofer ShelahYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
Karine ElharrarYesh Atid – Telem oppositionThird reading1against
איילת שקד (ימינה)—Third reading1—
Ayman OdehJoint List oppositionThird reading1against
Ahmad TibiJoint List oppositionThird reading1against

An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. A very long debate: every speech was shortened to the same length before summarising. Transcript of the sitting: 1

Reservations to the second reading

2432 reservations were filed: proposed changes to the text the committee brought to the second and third reading.

The reservations focus mainly on changing the Law's name to various critical nicknames, on cancelling or narrowing the definitions and arrangements regarding the rotation government and the affiliation of ministers to the Prime Minister and the alternate Prime Minister, on narrowing or cancelling funding for splitting factions, and on postponing the Law's commencement to various dates or conditions; a large portion of the reservations are numerical or textual repetitive variations on these topics.

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Hebrew original

ההסתייגויות מתמקדות בעיקר בשינוי שם החוק לכינויים ביקורתיים שונים, בביטול או בצמצום ההגדרות וההסדרים בדבר ממשלת חילופים וזיקת השרים לראש הממשלה ולראש הממשלה החלופי, בצמצום או ביטול מימון סיעות שהתפלגו, ובדחיית תחילת החוק לתאריכים או תנאים שונים; חלק גדול מההסתייגויות הן וריאציות מספריות או טקסטואליות חזרתיות על נושאים אלה.

By faction

A joint reservation counts for every faction whose members filed it.

Who proposed what

Proposers and reservation numbers are extracted automatically from the committee version, and the count is checked against the numbers printed in it. The descriptions are an automatic summary. Committee version for the second and third reading (PDF)

Reservations, sections and other votes (139)

In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.

Source: bill page in the Knesset legislation database ↗

Law on Transitional Government (legislative amendments and temporary provision), 2020 · How the Knesset Votes