Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin
צילום: ג'ורג' גינסברג
Knesset speaker rebukes Barak, Ben-Eliezer
Rivlin reprimands Labor ministers for publicly criticizing Ethic's Committee chair following decision to fine them for poor Knesset attendance
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin sent a letter to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer Monday, criticizing them for lashing out at Knesset Ethics Committee's Chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich (Labor) after she fined them for poor Knesset attendance.
The two, along with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Knesset Member Said Naffaa (Balad), were fined by the committee for failing to attend even the mandatory number of the Knesset's meetings.
Shortly after the fine was imposed, sources close to Barak accused Yacimovich of "being motivated by narrow political considerations."
Minister Ben-Eliezer's office called the decision "embittered and unfair" and expressed resentment over its publication prior to granting the parties involved a chance to comment or appeal.
Rivlin urged Barak and Ben-Eliezer to recant their harsh statements, saying "I was sorry to learn that the Ethic's Committee's decision in your matter provoked personal and political criticism against its chair, especially since the decision was unanimous and made by committee members who represent the entire political spectrum.
"I was sorry not only because the integrity of the committee – and especially that of its chairwoman – has never come into question, but also because your actions undermine the entire foundation on which the Ethic's Committee operates – the House and Knesset members' unwavering trust in its ability to rise above political loyalties."
This trust, continued Rivlin's letter, "Is what allows the committee to do its work when its members sit in de facto judgment of their peers. It is what guarantees that the committee's decisions are upheld by all Knesset members and, as a result, by the public."
The ministers' questioning of the motives behind the committee's decision "severely undermines the public's faith in the Knesset as an institution, thus playing into the hands of those who wish to discredit it and infringe on its independence.
"You are first and foremost takes precedent to your ministerial roles and means that you are responsible, for better or for worse, for the public's faith in the Knesset.
"I know how highly you regard the Knesset's status and I am sure that you will find the proper public way to recant your defamatory statements against the Ethic's Committee as soon as possible," concluded the Knesset speaker's letter.
