Israeli Parliament to Pay Over 676,000 Shekels to New MPs During Election Recess
The Israeli Knesset will pay at least 676,000 shekels to six new members of parliament (MPs) who will enter during the current election recess, a period when the plenary and committees rarely convene. Although sitting MPs continue to receive salaries during the recess, the new MPs face a particularly short term with limited opportunity to advance parliamentary initiatives. Their chances of returning to the next Knesset are also low. Additionally, new MPs are not required to resign from previous jobs during their first six months, allowing them to potentially earn both parliamentary salaries and outside income simultaneously. These new MPs will not be permanent committee members, and committee activity remains minimal.
The changes stem from several resignations ahead of the September 8 deadline for submitting candidate lists to the Central Elections Committee. MK Yoav Segalovich (Yesh Atid) resigned due to his expected move to the Ra'am party, with Michal Slavni Kabbaya automatically replacing him. Slavni Kabbaya will serve until the 26th Knesset convenes on November 10, receiving roughly 157,000 shekels in gross salary for about three months, along with allowances for meals, clothing, pension contributions, three parliamentary advisors, and a leased car.
Five other current MKs, Dan Illouz, Yuli Edelstein, Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Hili Tropper, and Sharren Haskel, are expected to resign by September 8, allowing five new MPs to enter and receive salaries and benefits during the roughly two-month recess, totaling about 520,000 shekels. None of the six new MPs will receive acclimation payments, which require at least one year of service.
Recent political shifts include Dan Illouz's move to Yisrael Beiteinu, with Shabtai Katesh set to replace him, and Yuli Edelstein's resignation following his departure from Likud. Farkash-Hacohen and Tropper have not resigned yet due to strategic coalition considerations involving Gideon Sa'ar's National Camp alliance. Sharren Haskel, who formed a new party and will not run with the National Camp, is also expected to resign. Further resignations by Elazar Stern and Yaron Levy (both Yesh Atid) could add to the number of new MPs entering during the recess, potentially increasing costs by another 208,000 shekels for two months of salaries.
