Hadash Chairman MK Muhammad Barakeh was expelled on Wednesday from the Knesset plenum following a heated debate on the “Governance Bill,” which was drafted by MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu). In a plenum session teeming with bitterness and aggression to a degree outstanding even by the standards of Israeli politics, the Knesset ratified by a majority of 51 to 43 the draft of the governance law in a preliminary reading, paving the way toward official recognition of the anti-democratic motion. It is aimed at significantly complicating the passing of no-confidence motions in the Knesset plenum, limiting the number of cabinet ministers to 19 and raising the electoral threshold to 4% of the general vote.
“Rotem is a dangerous man. He and Fascists like him want to destroy this house,” said MK Barakeh before being removed from the auditorium. Meretz Chair Zahava Gal-On, replied to Rotem, “What do you do for democracy? You bring havoc to this house.” Former Knesset speaker and Likud MK Reuven Rivlin was no less critical, saying “This is the wiping out of democracy. The annihilation of the Knesset. You’ll see, they’ll add a clause whereby a minister objecting to the bill will be sacked with immediate effect. In a word, a disgrace.”
MK’s Barakeh and Khenin (Photo: Hadash)
MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) castigates on Monday the Legislation Committee’s approval of the proposal. “The people are losing their trust in the political system. Democracy should allow small parties to enter the Knesset and also provide even a Knesset minority with the option of replacing the government with a no-confidence motion,” explained Khenin. The Ministerial Legislation Committee approved the draft version of the governance bill submitted by Knesset Member Rotem of extreme right party Yisrael Beiteinu.
