Knesset Advances First Reading Bills Allowing Government to Appoint Senior Officials Without Advisory Committee

The Knesset plenum approved on Wednesday in a preliminary reading a civil service bill introduced by MK Osher Shkalim, which would allow the Knesset to appoint senior officials without an advisory committee. Forty-eight MKs supported the proposal and 42 opposed it. The bill will now be sent to the Knesset House Committee, which will determine which committee will discuss it as the legislative process continues.

Under the proposal, senior appointments in the civil service would be made by the government, בהתאם to the responsible minister’s recommendation, without the need for approval from an advisory committee on senior appointments. The explanatory notes to the bill state that its purpose is to “remove obstacles in the appointment process for senior positions in the civil service and strengthen the principle of governability.” They also say the advisory committee on senior appointments operates only by virtue of a government decision, but “in practice has created delays and bureaucracy that prevent the government from functioning efficiently.”

The proposal’s sponsors argue that eliminating the need for the committee’s approval would allow the government to advance appointments more quickly and streamline the work of the executive branch. “It is proposed to determine that senior appointments will be made by the government, according to the recommendation of the responsible minister, without the need for approval by an advisory committee, and thus the work of the executive level will become more efficient and the public will’s will be realized,” the proposal says.

The bill is expected to spark public and political controversy, as supporters see it as a step to strengthen governability and the government’s ability to implement its policy, while opponents are expected to argue that it weakens oversight and control mechanisms over senior appointments in the public service.

At the same time, the Knesset also approved in a preliminary reading the bill “Termination of Tenure of Senior Officeholders,” initiated by National Security Committee chairman MK Tzvika Fogel. The proposal would allow a new government to end the tenure of a series of senior officials during the first 100 days of its term. The officials covered include the attorney general, the head of the Shin Bet, the head of the Mossad, the police commissioner, the commissioner of Israel Prisons Service, the Accountant General, and additional senior officials.

MK Fogel welcomed the approval of the proposal and said: “The public elects a government to govern, not to negotiate with officials appointed by previous governments. Whoever bears responsibility before the public must also be given the authority to act. This is a necessary step to strengthen governability and democracy in Israel.”

The two bills are part of a series of initiatives promoted by the coalition aimed at expanding the influence of elected officials over senior appointments in the public service and their terms in office.