Book Highlights Knesset's Quirks, Costs, and Controversies
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
A new book, "First Reading," by Itay Settat and Tal Elovich, details the Israeli Knesset's expenses, legislative activity, and historical incidents. The book highlights costs like pigeon removal and MK language courses, and legislative efforts by MKs like Dan Illouz. It also recounts past controversies, including MK Ahmed Tibi's speech and the conviction of MK Shmuel Rechtman for bribery. The compilation includes security events like a 1957 grenade attack and the 1981 murder of an MK.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A new book details the Israeli Knesset's expenses, including 1,404 shekels for pigeon removal in 2023.
- The book "First Reading" compiles 61 anecdotes about the Knesset's history and operations.
- MK Dan Illouz submitted 270 bills in the 25th Knesset, leading in private bill submissions.
- MK Miki Eitan delivered the longest speech in Knesset history, lasting over ten hours.
- A 1957 grenade attack in the plenum injured David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir.
- MK Shmuel Rechtman was convicted of bribery and served prison time in the late 1970s.
A new book titled "First Reading" by former parliamentary advisors Itay Settat and Tal Elovich compiles 61 anecdotes about the Israeli Knesset, revealing its eccentricities, expenses, and historical incidents. The book notes that only New Zealand and Kosovo have parliaments with the same 120-member size as Israel's Knesset. It highlights significant expenditures, such as 1,404 shekels spent in 2023 to catch a pigeon in the plenum, 120,000 shekels on language courses for MKs, 1.2 million shekels on committee refreshments, and approximately 20 million shekels annually for Knesset's municipal taxes in Jerusalem. The authors estimate each Israeli citizen contributes 100 shekels per year to the Knesset's budget.
The book also touches on legislative productivity, with MK Dan Illouz submitting 270 bills in the 25th Knesset, compared to Tali Gottlieb's 115 and Efrat Rayten's 120. Israel leads in private bill submissions, with 50,000 since the Second Knesset, though most do not reach a vote. Historically, Avrum Burg was the youngest Knesset Speaker at 44, while Nachum Nir was the oldest at 75 in 1959. MK Miki Eitan delivered the longest speech in 1992, lasting over ten hours against the state budget.
"First Reading" recounts notable incidents, including MK Ahmed Tibi's controversial speech about MK Anastasia Michaeli, who was suspended for pouring water on another MK. MK Aryeh Deri was penalized four days' pay for missing 27 sessions, and Miri Regev received a one-day pay deduction for similar absences. Former MK Miki Haimovitch's request to replace leather seat upholstery with synthetic fabric for vegan reasons was denied by then-Speaker Yuli Edelstein.
The book details criminal cases involving MKs, such as Shmuel Rechtman, who was convicted of bribery in 1979 and served prison time while also being a mayor. He was later granted a presidential pardon for a separate bribery conviction. In 1978, MK Charlie Biton chained himself to the podium in protest. MK Yosef Ba-Gad engaged in various protests, including displaying a plastic knife and sitting on the floor during speeches.
Significant security events are also covered, such as a 1957 incident where a mentally disturbed youth threw a hand grenade into the plenum, injuring David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir, which led to the establishment of Knesset security. Ben-Gurion sent a letter to the youth's parents expressing sorrow. The book also mentions the 1981 murder of Bedouin MK Hamad Abu Rabia by the sons of a former Druze MK, Jaber Muadi, over a rotation agreement dispute.