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ISRAEL
Knesset (Parliament)

This page contains the full text of the PARLINE database entry on the selected parliamentary chamber, with the exception of Specialized bodies modules which, because of their excessive length, can be only viewed and printed separately.

Modules:
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name (generic / translated) Knesset / Parliament
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Structure of parliament Unicameral
Affiliation to the IPU Yes
Affiliation date(s) 1950 -
LEADERSHIP
President Yuli-Yoel Edelstein (M) 
Notes Elected on 18 March 2013, re-elected on 31 March 2015.
Secretary General Yardena Meller-Horovitz (F) 
Notes 2 April 2010 -
COMPOSITION
Members (statutory / current number) 120 / 120
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN


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Women (current number) 33 (27.50%)
Mode of designation directly elected 120
Term 4 years
Last renewal dates 17 March 2015
(View details)
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address The Knesset
91950 JERUSALEM
(Export mailing lists)
Phone (972 2) 640 82 90
640 82 91
640 82 92
640 82 93
640 82 94
Fax (972 2) 561 92 27
649 61 91
E-mail fa-dpt@knesset.gov.il
maycohen@knesset.gov.il
Website
http://www.knesset.gov.il

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Parliament name (generic / translated) Knesset / Parliament
Structure of parliament Unicameral
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral law 14 July 1969
Last amendments on 11 March 2014 (Governance Law)
Mode of designation directly elected 120
Constituencies 1 multi-member constituency for 120 seats
Voting system Proportional: Direct election based on closed party lists of candidates, with proportional distribution of seats according to the simple quotient and highest average system (d'Hondt method) among all lists having obtained at least 3.25 per cent of the valid votes cast. Within each list, seats won are allotted to candidates according to their order of appearance on the list.
There are no reserved seats or quotas for women, ethnic minorities or other categories.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by the "next-in-line" candidate of the party list concerned.
Voting is not compulsory.
Voter requirements - age: 18 years
- Israeli citizenship (including naturalized citizens)
- registered residence in the country
Disqualifications: anyone denied the right to vote by court application of the law; citizens overseas (except for all State employees and employees of Jewish institutions recognized by the State, their spouses and their children aged 18 to 20 years, and ships' crew members and passengers under certain conditions)
CANDIDATES
Eligibility - qualified voters
- age: 21
- Israeli citizenship (including naturalized citizens); candidates with dual citizenship can only stand if they are unable to give up the other citizenship
- ineligibilities: if a court of law has denied the candidate the right to be elected by law, or if he/she has been sentenced to imprisonment for at least five years for violating national security and five years have not elapsed since the prison term was served
Incompatibilities - President of the State
- Chief Rabbis
- judges of civil and religious courts
- State Comptroller
- Paid religious officials
- All officers in the professional army
- Senior civil servants
- Senior officers in the police and prisons service
- Senior employees of associations established by law
The incompatibilities above apply unless the candidates have ceased to serve in these positions before the lists of candidates are submitted or on the dates stipulated by law.
Candidacy requirements - Candidates must be on a list to run for election. A list may be registered by a party or a group of parties. Lists that explicitly or implicitly reject the Jewish and/or democratic nature of the State, incite to racism, or support the armed struggle of an enemy State or a terrorist organization acting against the State of Israel cannot run in elections.

LAST ELECTIONS

Parliament name (generic / translated) Knesset / Parliament
Structure of parliament Unicameral
BACKGROUND
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 17 March 2015
Timing and scope of renewal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party remained the largest force, winning 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The Zionist Union - established in December 2014 by the Labour Party and Hatenua and led by outgoing Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog and former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni - came in second with 24 seats. Due mainly to the higher threshold required to win seats in the 2015 elections, four Arab parties ran together as the Joint List and became the third largest force with 13 seats (see note). A record 29 women were elected, up from 27. On 25 March, President Reuven Rivlin tasked Mr. Netanyahu with forming a new government, stating "only a unity government can prevent the rapid disintegration of Israel's democracy". On 6 May, Mr. Netanyahu presented a new coalition government comprising Likud, Kulanu, Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home), Shas and the United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah), undertaking his fourth mandate as Prime Minister.

The 2015 elections - the second snap polls in two years - were triggered by the collapse of the previous coalition government following the dismissal in December 2014 of Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and Justice Minister Livni (Hatnua). They had opposed the budget proposal (which foresaw an increase in defence spending) and a bill declaring Israel a nation-state of the Jewish people. The Ministers argued that the bill would harm the rights of the country's Arab and minority populations, while the Prime Minister said it would guarantee equal rights for citizens "regardless of religion, race or nationality". During the election campaign, the major parties focused on Palestine, settlement in the Occupied Territories and Iran's nuclear program.

Note:
In March 2014, the Knesset passed a "Governance Law" that raised the threshold required for political parties to win parliamentary representation from 2 to 3.25% of total votes cast. The Labour Party, Meretz and the United Arab List -Ta'al opposed the bill and argued that it would undermine Israeli's democracy and pluralism in the Knesset. The primary initiators of the bill - Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Likud) and Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) - noted that thresholds in other countries were much higher. In the 2015 elections, the Joint List comprised Hadash, the National Democratic Alliance (Balad), the United Arab List and Ta'al. In the 2013 elections, each party submitted candidates separately and won a total of 11 seats.
Date of previous elections: 22 January 2013

Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 8 December 2014

Timing of election: Early elections

Expected date of next elections: March 2019

Number of seats at stake: 120 (full renewal)

Number of candidates: 1,297

Percentage of women candidates: Not available

Number of parties contesting the election: 25

Number of parties winning seats: 10

Alternation of power: No

Number of parties in government: 5

Names of parties in government: Likud, Kulanu, Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home), Shas and the United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah)

Date of the first session of the new parliament: 31 March 2015.

Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Yuli-Yoel Edelstein (Likud)
STATISTICS
Voter turnout
Round no 117 March 2015
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes
5'881'696
4'254'738 (72.34%)

Notes
Distribution of votes
Round no 1
Political group Candidates Votes % of votes
Likud
Zionist Union
Joint List
Yesh Atid (There Is a Future)
Kulanu
Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home)
Shas
Yisrael Beiteinu
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah)
Meretz
Distribution of seats
Round no 1
Political Group Total of seats
Likud 30
Zionist Union 24
Joint List 13
Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) 11
Kulanu 10
Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) 8
Shas 7
Yisrael Beiteinu 6
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah) 6
Meretz 5
Distribution of seats according to sex
Men

Women

Percent of women
91

29

24.17%
Distribution of seats according to age
Distribution of seats according to profession
Comments
Sources:
Parliament (12.04.2015, 02.09.2015, 29.10.2015, 29.11.2015, 01.01.2017)
http://knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mkindex_current_eng.asp?view=3
http://www.votes20.gov.il/

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name (generic / translated) Knesset / Parliament
Structure of parliament Unicameral
APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE
Title Speaker of the Knesset
Term - duration: 4 years (term of House)
- reasons for interruption of the term: dissolution of the Assembly, death
Appointment - elected by all the Members of the Knesset
- the election is held the same day or a few days after the installation of the new Parliament
- after the Members are sworn in
Eligibility - any Member may be candidate
Voting system - formal vote, by public ballot (by show of hands), by simple majority
Procedures / results - the oldest Member of Parliament presides the election
- the Secretary General supervises the voting
- the oldest Member announces the results immediatly after the ballots have been counted
- the results cannot be challenged
STATUS
Status - is acting Head of State when the President of Israel is out of the country
- represents the Assembly in international bodies
- in the absence of the Speaker, one of the Deputy Speakers is appointed by resolution of the House Committee to assume his/her role and functions
Board - the Praesidium is composed of 7 Deputy Speakers whose term of office is the same as the Speaker
Material facilities - allowance (same scale as Prime Minister)
- official car
- official residence
- domestic staff
- secretariat
- additional staff
- protection on official occasions

FUNCTIONS
Organization of parliamentary business - convenes sessions
- establishes and modifies the agenda
Chairing of public sittings - opens, adjourns and closes sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak
- establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated
- calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in case of irregularities
- checks the quorum
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Assembly
- has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates
Special powers - proposes the Knesset's budget to a joint body consisting of the Committee of the House and to the Finance Committee
- recruits, assigns and promotes staff
- appoints the Secretary General
- organizes the services of Parliament

- is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety and, in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber
Speaking and voting rights, other functions - provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion
- takes part in voting

PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE

Parliament name (generic / translated) Knesset / Parliament
Structure of parliament Unicameral
NATURE
Nature of the mandate · Free representation
Start of the mandate · When the MPs take the oath (S. 16 of The Basic Law: The Knesset). Procedure (S. 14 to 16 of The Basic Law: The Knesset; status 19.05.1987).
Validation of mandates
End of the mandate · On the day when the newly elected Parliament meets (S. 37 of The Basic Law: The Knesset; for early dissolution, see S. 34 to 37 of The Basic Law: The Knesset)
Can MPs resign? Yes · Yes, of their own free will (S. 40 of The Basic Law: The Knesset)· Procedure (S. 40 and 41 of The Basic Law: The Knesset, Rule 23 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)· Authority competent to accept the resignation: the resignation does not have to be accept
Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a) Definitive exclusion from Parliament by the latter (S. 42 (a) and 43 (a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset)
(b) Loss of mandate for incompatibilities (S. 7, 42 and 43 (a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset)
STATUS OF MEMBERS
Rank in hierarchy · Within Parliament:
1. The Speaker
2. The Deputy Speakers and Committee Chairmen
3. The other MPs
.· Outside Parliament: the official order of precedence ranks the Speaker of the Knesset (Vice-President of State) in the 3rd position, former Knesset Speakers and the chairman of the largest party in opposition in the 12th position, Deputy Knesset Speakers in the 14th position, and ordinary MPs in the 15th position.
Indemnities, facilities and services · Official passport·
. Basic salary (see also S. 39 of The Basic Law: The Knesset): in accordance with function
+ cost of living increment
+ subsistence allowance
· No exemption from tax but income tax payable on expense refunds is grossed up by the Knesset
· Pension scheme
· Other facilities:
(a) Secretariat (see also Rules 19 (a) and 24 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
(b) Assistants (see also Rule 26 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
(c) Official housing
(d) Official car and driver for the Speaker
(e) Postal and telephone services
(f) Travel and transport
Obligation to declare personal assets Yes
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (S. 17 of The Basic Law: The Knesset; Art. 1 (a) of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law - 1951).
· Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament. (Parliamentary non-accountability applies to words spoken and written by MPs both within and outside Parliament.)
· Derogations: offence or insult (Rules 69, and 72 (a) of The Knesset Rules of Procedure; see Discipline)
· Non-accountability takes effect at the end of the election day, or, for a candidate who has become a Member of Knesset after elections (resignation/death of another MP), on the day when the mandate begins (Art. 88 of The Election Law). It offers, after the expiry of the mandate, protection against prosecution for opinions expressed during the exercise of the mandate (Art. 1 (c) of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law - 1951).
Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (S. 17 of The Basic Law: The Knesset; The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law - 1951).· It applies to criminal and civil proceedings, but does not cover all offences. It protects MPs from arrest and from being held in preventive custody, from the opening of judicial proceedings against them and from their homes being searched.
· Derogations: an MP can be detained if he has been caught while performing a criminal act involving the use of force, disturbance of the peace or treason, and be held for 10 days (Art. 3 (a) and (c) of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law).
· Parliamentary inviolability does not prevent MPs from being called as witnesses before a judge or tribunal. However, the exact time of his appearance will be determined with the Speaker of the Knesset (Art. 8 of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law - 1951).
· Protection is provided from the end of the election day, or, for a candidate who has become a Member of Knesset after elections (resignation/death of another MP), on the day when the mandate begins (Art. 88 of The Election Law), and lasts until the end of the mandate. It also covers judicial proceedings instituted against MPs before their election (Art. 5 of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law).
· Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted:
- Competent authority: the Knesset, the House Committee
- Procedure (Art. 13 (a), (b), (d), (e), (f), and (g) of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law). In this case, MPs must be heard. They have means of appeal.· Parliament cannot subject the prosecution and/or detention to certain conditions.
· Parliament cannot suspend the prosecution and/or detention of one of its members.
· In the event of preventive custody or imprisonment, the MPs con-erned cannot be authorised to attend sittings of Parliament.
EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE
Training · There is an informal training/initiation process on parliamentary practices and procedures for MPs.
· It is provided by the parliamentary groups, the Secretary-General of the Knesset and the Knesset Legal Department.
· Handbooks of parliamentary procedure:
- The Knesset Rules of Procedure
Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is not compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings, committee meetings, or other meetings (see Rule 22 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure).
· Penalties foreseen in case of failure to attend sittings: remark, warning or rebuke, denial of salary and other payments during the period in question (Art. 13d (3) (a), (b) and (d) of The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law)
· Body competent to judge such cases/to apply the penalties: the Ethics Committee
Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in Rules 67 to 74 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure.
· Disciplinary measures foreseen:
- Remark (Rule 67 (a) of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Deletion from the records (Rule 67 (b) of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Call to order (Rule 69 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Denial of the right to speak (Rule 70 (a) of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Removal from the sitting (Rules 70 (a), 72 (a), and 74 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Exclusion from the sitting (Rules 70 (b), 72 (b), and 73 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Suspension of the sitting (Rule 71 of The Knesset Rules of Proce-dure)
- Instruction to descend from the rostrum, withdrawal of the permission to speak (Rule 71A of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Order not to participate in sittings of the Knesset (Rule 72A of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
· Specific cases:
- Offence or insult (Rules 69, and 72 (a) of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
· Competent body to judge such cases/to apply penalties:
- Remark, deletion from the records, call to order, offence or insult; suspension of the sitting, removal by force; order not to participate in sittings of the Knesset: the Speaker
- Denial of the right to speak, removal and exclusion from the sitting: the Speaker, the House Committee; the Knesset (appeal)
- Removal and exclusion from the sitting, removal by force, offence or insult: the Knesset, the House Committee, the Speaker; the Knesset (appeal)
- Instruction to descend from the rostrum, withdrawal of the permission to speak: the Speaker; the House Committee (appeal)
- General procedure for appeal: the House Committee
· Procedure:
- Remark, deletion from the records (Rule 67 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Call to order, offence or insult (Rule 69 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Denial of the right to speak, removal and exclusion from the sitting (Rules 70 and 73 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Removal and exclusion from the sitting, removal by force, offence or insult (Rules 72, 73, and 74 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Suspension of the sitting, removal by force (Rules 71 and 74 of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Instruction to descend from the rostrum, withdrawal of the permission to speak (Rule 71A of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- Order not to participate in sittings of the Knesset (Rule 72A of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
- General procedure for appeal (Rule 68 (b) of The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does exist in the country's juridical system (Rules of Ethics, see also The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law and The Knesset Rules of Procedure, see further S. 7, 42 and 43 (a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset; for the declaration of personal assets, see Obligation to declare personal assets).
· Penalties foreseen for violation of the code and rules of conduct:
- Loss of mandate (S. 7, 42, 42a and 43 (a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset; criminal conviction, incompatibilities)
- Suspension from office (S. 42b and 43 (b) of The Basic Law: The Knesset)
- Remark, warning, rebuke, severe rebuke (Rules of Ethics, The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law, The Knesset Rules of Procedure; violation of the code of conduct).
. Body competent:
- Loss of mandate: the Knesset;
- Suspension from office: the House Committee
- Remark, warning, rebuke, severe rebuke: the Knesset Ethics Committee
· Procedure:
- Loss of mandate (S. 7, 42, 42a and 43 (a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset)
- Suspension from office (S. 42b and 43 (b) of The Basic Law: The Knesset)
- Remark, warning, rebuke, severe rebuke (Rules of Ethics, The Immunity of Members of Knesset, their Rights and Duties Law, The Knesset Rules of Procedure)
Relations between MPs and pressure group · Relations between members and pressure groups are governed by amendment 25 to the Knesset Law of 1994, in effect since 10 April 2008. The amendment has added Articles 65 to 71 under Chapter 12, which governs the activities of lobbyists in the Knesset, including their relations with members of the Knesset. The current Rules of Ethics for members of the Knesset do not include provisions related to lobbyists.

This page was last updated on 7 February 2017
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