The politicization of public life in the modern world involves every conscious citizen in politics. The young generation from school already knows three branches of government and the need for their separation. Various forms of government and the effectiveness of their work is an object of close attention of conscious citizens. If you try to understand these issues, interest in the state system of successful countries makes you look around. This explains the interest in the youngest state of Israel. It is a multi-party parliamentary republic in which the main legislative body is the Israeli parliament.
Historical retreat
This state was formed by a strong-willed decision to abolish the mandate of England in Palestine. The UNGA resolution of 11.29.1947 proclaimed the creation of two states on the lands of Palestine: Jewish Israel and Arab Palestine. Israel's history and economic success are mysterious, as is its capital. The capital of the state is Tel Aviv. Later, in 1949, Jerusalem was declared the capital. But for most of the world, Tel Aviv remains the capital.
In 2017, on the day of the Jewish Tree Festival (Tu B'Shvat), namely February 14, the Israeli parliament celebrated the 68th anniversary of its first meeting. It was held at the residence of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem. And on February 16, the parliament was renamed the Knesset of Israel and began the construction of the country's legislation.
Knesset History
The name of the legislature - the Knesset - goes back to the 5th century BC to the Knesset Hagdola (Great Assembly) held in Jerusalem after the return of the Jews from Babylon. The number of deputies - 120 people, was also taken from the same tradition.
The history of Israel and the influence of Britain regarding the organization of the Assembly of Representatives during the British mandate are smoothly inscribed in the tradition of the Knesset as a state structure. And Judaism plays an important role in this.
Religion and Politics
In the political and legal life of the country, religion plays a significant role - Judaism, which in Israel is not separated from the state. The relationship between the state and religion is clearly regulated by religious norms, some of which are far from democratic. These are obligatory religious marriages, and the close connection of education and the army with religious structures and organizations, the dependence of the legal status of citizens on their religion, Talmudic principles in the law, various kinds of religious courts.
Knesset structure
As already mentioned, according to the constitutional system, Israel is a republic with a unicameral parliament. All activities, powers, work regulations and elections are spelled out in the Basic Law “On Parliament” (1958).
The Knesset includes 120 deputies. It is headed by a chairman (speaker), who can have from two to eight deputies elected from parliament. The speaker and deputies form the Knesset Presidium.
Parliamentarians are united in commissions and committees reflecting the needs of the state. The law does not regulate the number of committees and commissions, nor the number of parliamentarians in them.
The role of the Knesset in the life of the state
There is no constitution in the country; the whole legal life is regulated by basic laws. The main function of the Israeli parliament is to pass laws and amend them as necessary. The legislative power of the Knesset is virtually unlimited - the law cannot be vetoed, and even the Supreme Court cannot cancel it.
With regard to the executive branch, the Knesset also has fairly broad powers. He is empowered to lead and oversee the actions of the Government. At the meeting of the Knesset, the budget is approved, parliamentary audits of the Cabinet of Ministers are held. He has the right to declare a vote of no confidence and dismiss the Cabinet of Ministers. The Knesset determines the amount of all taxes. Only the Israeli Parliament elects the chairman and his deputies, secretly votes the rabbis of Israel, elects and dismisses the state controller and president of the country. He approves the posts of ministers and determines the salary of all the highest officials of the state. The Israeli parliament passes laws that allow the government to declare a state of emergency and ratifies all international treaties.
Knesset members are inviolable
The status of parliamentarians is spelled out in the law "On Parliament". The essence of their authority is as follows:
- They are granted lifelong personal immunity from prosecution for activities related to the fulfillment of the duties of a member of the Knesset.
- For the duration of their service, they are immune to personal and home searches, but this does not apply to customs inspection.
- They can be arrested only if they are caught at the crime scene.
All types of immunity can be lifted by decision of the Knesset.
How to become a parliamentarian in Israel
First you need to be a citizen of Israel, become a member of one of twenty parties and get into the passing number in the next elections to the Knesset.
At the end of the four-year term of the parliament, new elections are scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month of Heshwan. The percentage barrier for the party is 3.25%. Overcomes it no more than ten parties. The seats in the parliament between the last parties are distributed in proportion to the votes.
Political Life Center - Knesset Building
The building where the Knesset is sitting is not only the center of the country's political life, but also an architectural monument with its own history. The parliament building appeared in 1966. In 1956, the government decided on the need for a separate building for the legislative branch. A competition for an architectural project has been announced. The government did not foresee finance, and local architects ignored this competition. Except for one - Joseph Clarwain. A few days before the end of the contest, it turned out that philanthropist and millionaire James Armand Edmond de Rothschild left six million pounds in his will for the construction of the Knesset. The winner of the competition has been announced. And the construction began. Today it is a comfortable building in the historic center of Jerusalem. The walls of the building are decorated with tapestries with plots of the Old Testament and mosaics by Marc Chagall. British sculptor Benno Elkana is the author of a huge minor in front of the parliament. And David Palombo, an Israeli sculptor of Turkish origin, is the author of the sculpture “The Burning Bush”.
Opposite the Knesset for the money of the same Rothschilds, the Rose Garden, in which there are 450 varieties of roses, is broken.
In the building daily, except Friday and Saturday, conduct excursions. Moreover, excursions are conducted in seven languages. But note that only certain clothes are allowed into the building.
Knesset Speaker 2017
Since 2013, the speaker of the Israeli parliament was an emigrant from the USSR Yuli Yurievich Edelstein. Born in the family of an Orthodox priest in 1958 in the city of Chernivtsi, he graduated from school in Kostroma. He was expelled from Moscow Pedagogical University in 1979 for his desire to leave for Israel. Before reaching the lands of Israel in 1987, he went through KGB persecution and imprisonment.
In Israel, the Knesset speaker Julius Edelstein immediately became involved in political life. Seven times in a row he was a parliamentarian, held several posts in the Cabinet of Ministers. Today, he is the second term in office as the Speaker of the Israeli Knesset.