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Government System:
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The Knesset
The Knesset Building
 For over 16 years the Knesset held its meetings in the Arazi-Frumin building on King George Boulevard in downtown Jerusalem. On July 15, 1956, the Knesset presidium declared, in participation with the Association of Engineers and Architects in Israel, a public competition for the planning of a permanent Knesset building in the government complex being constructed at Givat Ram. Since at this stage the source of financing for the building was not yet known, most of the well known architects in the country did not participate in the competition. Only nine days before the publication of the results of the competition, it was announced that Baron James de Rothschild had left a sum of 1.25 million pounds sterling. Next Page |
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Name
The Israeli parliament is called the Knesset, after the first representative assembly in Jewish history, Haknesset Hagedola (the great assembly), convened in Jerusalem following the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile in the 5th century BCE.
Structure
The Knesset is unicameral and has 120 members. Parties elected to the Knesset can function individually, join in coalitions, or split with the approval of the Knesset House Committee.
Functions
The Knesset's main functions are to legislate, pass Basic Laws for an eventual constitution, and to supervise the government. It also has some electoral functions (such as the election of the president of the state and the state comptroller), judicial functions (such as the right to lift the parliamentary immunity of members to enable them to stand trial), ceremonial functions (such as receiving foreign leaders and heads of state), and investigative functions (as when it decides to establish a parliamentary committee of inquiry).
How the Knesset works
The Knesset functions on the basis of Rules of Procedure, which it itself lays down and interprets. The Knesset holds two sessions a year: a winter session and a summer session. The government may call an extraordinary session during a recess, as may any 30 members of the Knesset (MKs). Most of the work of the Knesset is performed in the plenum (which does not require a quorum to meet) and its standing and special committees. The plenum is presided over by the Speaker of the Knesset or one of his deputies. The plenum holds debates, passes laws, and deals with motions to the agenda, motions of no-confidence in the prime minister, and parliamentary questions. Government bills must pass three votes to become law. Private members' bills require a preliminary reading as well, or four votes. The majority of bills brought before the legislature are private members' bills.
The Knesset committees prepare bills for their various readings, but also hold discussions on various issues.
There are 11 standing committees:
- The Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee
- The Economics Committee
- The Education, Culture, and Sports Committee
- The Finance Committee
- The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
- The House Committee
- The Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs Committee
- The Interior and Environment Committee
- The Labor and Social Affairs Committee
- The State Control Committee
- The Committee on the Status of Women
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ELECTIONS 2003 HOME PAGE
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