Knesset Approves Steering Committee Composition Amidst Political Wrangling
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
The Knesset plenum approved the formation of the Steering Committee with a 63-50 vote, based on a proposal by MK Roee Folkman. The committee, which will have 22 members, is tasked with approving the composition of permanent Knesset committees. MK Ofir Katz's alternative proposal was rejected. The Likud party criticized the vote, alleging cooperation between disparate factions and calling for unity.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The Knesset approved the Steering Committee's composition 63-50, based on MK Roee Folkman's proposal.
- The Steering Committee will have 22 members, with representation based on faction size.
- MK Roee Folkman will chair the committee, emphasizing pragmatic politics.
- MK Ofir Katz criticized the outcome, alleging cooperation with 'supporters of terrorism'.
- The Likud party condemned the vote, calling for unity and criticizing alleged alliances.
The Knesset plenum approved the composition of the Steering Committee on Wednesday with a majority of 63 to 50 votes, following a proposal by Member of Knesset Roee Folkman. An alternative proposal by Likud MK Ofir Katz, which would have set the committee at 18 members based on a ratio of one committee member per seven MKs, was rejected.
The Steering Committee is responsible for bringing the permanent Knesset committees' compositions for plenum approval. Until the permanent committees are elected, the Steering Committee can establish temporary committees for finance and foreign affairs and defense. It also holds the powers of the Knesset Committee concerning house rules and plenum debates, and can appoint temporary deputy Knesset speakers.
According to law, the Steering Committee is headed by an MK from the party of the individual tasked by the President with forming a government. The committee's representation is based on the relative size of the factions, with any faction of four or more members guaranteed a representative.
Folkman's approved proposal establishes a 22-member committee with a ratio of one member per five MKs. The distribution includes: Likud (5), Yesh Atid (4), Tikva Hadasha (2), Joint List (2), New Hope (2), Ra'am (2), Yisrael Beiteinu (1), Otzma Yehudit (1), United Torah Judaism (1), Shas (1), and Religious Zionism (1).
Folkman, who will chair the committee, stated his belief in pragmatic politics and the importance of norms and laws, noting he had offered Katz agreements. "Not agreeing for the sake of not agreeing is unnecessary and a shame to create tensions," he said.
Katz countered that the Likud bloc had proposed a 1:4 ratio, which would have given their bloc 15 members, the opposing bloc 12, and Arab factions 4. He claimed a subsequent compromise proposal of 8 members for their bloc, 7 for the other, and 3 for Arab MKs was rejected because "they are trying to hide the cooperation with supporters of terrorism in the Knesset."
The Likud party issued a statement reacting to the vote, saying, "It has begun. The parties of Izankot, Lieberman, and Bennett voted today together with Tibi and Abbas in the Knesset plenum. We call on you, come to unity. Cease the collaborations with supporters of terrorism who boycott the national anthem."
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