How the Knesset Votes
English

Private member's bill · 25th Knesset · published as law 29 March 2023

חוק זכויות החולה (תיקון מס' 13), התשפ"ג–2023Patient's Rights Law (Amendment No. 13), 2023 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית

Topics: Health* · * from the Knesset's official law classification

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

The Law authorizes hospital directors to establish provisions regarding the prohibition or restriction of bringing leavened products (chametz) into the hospital building, in whole or in part, as required for maintaining kosher dietary observance during the Passover holiday for hospitalized patients. The provisions shall be established after the director has considered other alternatives and taking into account patients' rights and needs. The director may take into account, among other things, the needs of patients' companions and staff. In addition, the Law establishes that the provisions shall be published permanently on the hospital's website, and if there is no such website – on the Ministry of Health's website, and signs regarding the provisions shall be posted in the hospital. The hospital director shall be authorized to appoint an employee to inform about the provisions. The Law clarifies that the provisions of this arrangement do not derogate from the provisions of any law relating to food kashrut.

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Hebrew original

החוק מסמיך את מנהלי בתי החולים לקבוע הוראות בדבר איסור או הגבלה של הכנסת חמץ למבנה בית החולים, כולו או חלקו, הנדרשות לשם שמירת כשרות בחג הפסח עבור המאושפזים. קביעת ההוראות תעשה לאחר שהמנהל שקל חלופות אחרות ובהתחשב בזכויות המטופלים ובצורכיהם. המנהל רשאי להתחשב בין היתר בצורכי המלווים של המטופלים והעובדים. בנוסף, החוק קובע כי ההוראות יפורסמו באופן קבוע באתר האינטרנט של בית החולים ואם אין אתר כזה – באתר משרד הבריאות, ובבית החולים יוצבו שלטים בדבר ההוראות. מנהל בית החולים יהיה רשאי להסמיך עובד לשם יידוע על ההוראות. בחוק הובהר כי הוראות הסדר זה אינן גורעות מהוראות כל דין הנוגע לכשרות המזון.

Sponsors

Yosef Taieb, Uriel Busso, Yinon Azoulay, Moshe Gafni, Israel Eichler, Yaakov Asher, Yitzhak Ze'ev Pindrus

Readings

What was said in the plenum

The law deals with authorizing hospital directors to set restrictions or prohibitions on bringing leavened products into the hospital during Passover, after the Supreme Court ruled that hospital directors had so far acted without legal authorization on this matter. The debate revolved around whether this is a declarative and balanced law that preserves an existing status quo, or coercive religious legislation that harms human rights and alienates the public from Jewish tradition, with a significant portion of the speeches also addressing other topics such as the judicial reform and the public protest.

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Hebrew original

החוק עוסק בהסמכת מנהלי בתי חולים לקבוע הגבלות או איסורים על הכנסת חמץ לבית החולים בפסח, לאחר שבג"ץ קבע כי מנהלי בתי חולים פעלו עד כה ללא הסמכה חוקית בנושא זה. הדיון נסב סביב השאלה האם מדובר בחוק דקלרטיבי ומאוזן השומר על סטטוס קוו קיים, או בחקיקה דתית כופה הפוגעת בזכויות אדם ומרחיקה את הציבור מהמסורת היהודית, כאשר חלק ניכר מהנאומים עסק גם בנושאים אחרים כמו הרפורמה המשפטית והמחאה הציבורית.

Arguments for

  • The law merely enshrines in primary legislation the authority that hospital directors held for decades, after the Supreme Court ruled that they have no such authority without an explicit law.
    Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Uriel Busso (Shas), Moshe Roth (United Torah Judaism), Idit Silman
  • The law contains no coercion, no searches of belongings, and no criminal punishment – the hospital director is merely authorized to establish balanced arrangements while taking into account the needs of the general public.
    Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Uriel Busso (Shas), Idit Silman
  • An overwhelming majority of the Jewish public in Israel observes the prohibition on chametz during Passover, and therefore patients who observe religious commandments and are hospitalized against their will should be allowed to avoid contact with chametz and to preserve the Jewish character of the state.
    Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Yosef Taieb (Shas), Moshe Roth (United Torah Judaism), Idit Silman
  • Without the law, observant patients might avoid coming to a hospital they need, or suffer by being forced to stay there without being able to eat properly.
    Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism)
  • Since it is the Supreme Court that requires primary legislation in order to preserve the existing situation, it is justified for the Knesset to enact the required law rather than leave the matter unregulated.
    Moshe Roth (United Torah Judaism), Idit Silman

Arguments against

Who spoke (37)
MemberFactionReadingsSpeechesIn the final vote
Moshe GafniUnited Torah Judaism coalitionPreliminary reading, First reading, Third reading3for
Yosef TaiebShas coalitionPreliminary reading1for
Uriel BussoShas coalitionFirst reading, Third reading3for
Merav MichaeliLabor oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Gilad KarivLabor oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Tatiana MazarskyYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Orna BarbivayYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2no record
Yoav SegalovitzYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Ram Ben BarakYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Idan RollYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Naama LazimiLabor oppositionThird reading1against
Sharon NirYisrael Beytenu oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Elazar SternYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Ron KatzYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Hamad AmarYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Oded ForerYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Sharren Miriam HaskelNational Unity oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2no record
Merav Ben AriYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Yair LapidYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Moshe RothUnited Torah Judaism coalitionThird reading1for
Idit Silman—Third reading1no record
Yitzhak Ze'ev PindrusUnited Torah Judaism coalitionFirst reading1for
Yifat Shasha BitonNational Unity oppositionFirst reading1against
Matti Sarfatti HarcaviYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
Debbie BitonYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
Alon SchusterNational Unity oppositionFirst reading1no record
Ofer CassifHadash–Ta'al oppositionFirst reading1against
Vladimir BeliakYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
David AmsalemLikud coalitionFirst reading1no record
Yorai Lahav HertzanuYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1for
Zeev ElkinNational Unity oppositionFirst reading1against
Meirav CohenYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
Shelly Tal MeronYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
Yasmin FridmanYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
Evgeny SovaYisrael Beytenu oppositionFirst reading1against
Iman Khatib YassinRa'am oppositionFirst reading1no record
May GolanLikud coalitionFirst reading1no record

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. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2, 3

Reservations to the second reading

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

The reservations sought to change and limit the authority of the hospital director to set provisions regarding the prohibition or restriction of bringing chametz into the hospital on Passover, through clauses, exceptions, consultation and publication requirements, and also to delay the law's effective date; some of the reservations were ironic in nature, intended to express opposition to the law as a whole.

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Hebrew original

ההסתייגויות ביקשו לשנות ולהגביל את סמכותו של מנהל בית החולים לקבוע הוראות בדבר איסור או הגבלת הכנסת חמץ לבית החולים בפסח, באמצעות תניות, סייגים, חובות היוועצות ופרסום, וכן לעכב את מועד תחילת החוק; חלק מההסתייגויות היו בעלות אופי אירוני שנועד להביע התנגדות לחוק כולו.

By faction

  • Yesh Atid opposition · 76 reservations · 7 members
  • Yisrael Beytenu opposition · 25 reservations · 6 members
  • National Unity opposition · 9 reservations · 12 members
  • Labor opposition · 7 reservations · 4 members
  • Noam opposition · 2 reservations · 1 member

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

Who proposed what
  • יש עתיד · 76
    The Yesh Atid group proposed multiple changes to the authority of the hospital director to set rules regarding bringing in leavened products, including conditions, consultations, exceptions, a duty to conduct surveys, patients' rights to sue, and additional publication requirements.
    Sections: לסעיף 1
    Meirav Cohen, Elazar Stern, Mickey Levy, Yasmin Fridman, Naor Shiri, Idan Roll, Michal Shir Segman
  • ישראל ביתנו · 25
    The Yisrael Beiteinu group proposed reservations including ironic purposes for the law, cancelling or limiting the hospital director's authority to issue orders prohibiting the bringing in of chametz, transferring the authority to Knesset committees, various protective clauses, ironic additions to the text of the law, and delaying its commencement by between 25 and 60 months.
    Sections: לפני סעיף 1, לסעיף 1, לאחרי סעיף 1
    Avigdor Liberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Sharon Nir, Yulia Malinovsky, Hamad Amar
  • המחנה הממלכתי · 9
    The State Camp group proposed various restrictions and limitations on the authority of hospital directors to issue instructions prohibiting the bringing in of leavened products (chametz), including consideration of patients' and employees' rights, approval by additional bodies, exemptions for certain populations, and extensive publication requirements.
    Sections: לסעיף 1
    Benjamin Gantz, Gideon Sa'ar, Gadi Eisenkot, Pnina Tameno, Yifat Shasha Biton, Chili Tropper, Zeev Elkin, Michael Mordechai Biton, Matan Kahana, Orit Farkash Hacohen, Sharren Miriam Haskel, Alon Schuster
  • העבודה · 7
    The Labor group proposed ironic additions to the definitions in the Patient's Rights Law linking them to freedom of religion and freedom from religion and to maintaining Passover kashrut standards.
    Sections: לפני סעיף 1
    Merav Michaeli, Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Efrat Rayten Marom
  • אבי מעוז · 2
    Knesset Member Avi Maoz proposed requiring consultation with the hospital rabbi and compliance with the kashrut procedures of the Chief Rabbinate before setting provisions regarding the bringing in of chametz.
    Sections: לסעיף 1

Asked to speak: Ayman Odeh (Hadash–Ta'al), Ahmad Tibi (Hadash–Ta'al), Aida Touma Sliman (Hadash–Ta'al), Youssef Atauna (Hadash–Ta'al), Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Israel Eichler (United Torah Judaism), Yaakov Tesler (United Torah Judaism), Yaakov Asher (United Torah Judaism), Yitzhak Ze'ev Pindrus (United Torah Judaism), Moshe Roth (United Torah Judaism), Eliyahu Baruchi (United Torah Judaism), Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), Orna Barbivay (Yesh Atid), Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid), Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid), Merav Ben Ari (Yesh Atid), Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid), Yoav Segalovitz (Yesh Atid), Boaz Toporovsky (Yesh Atid), Ron Katz (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid), Tatiana Mazarsky (Yesh Atid), Debbie Biton (Yesh Atid), Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid), Simon Davidson (Yesh Atid), Shelly Tal Meron (Yesh Atid)

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 (25)

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 ↗

Patient's Rights Law (Amendment No. 13), 2023 · How the Knesset Votes