'Nuremburg laws passed by a majority too'
Heated debates ensue in Knesset as controversial bill on composition of judges' appointment committee, accelerated legislation process approved for its first reading. 'Knesset has hit rock bottom,' says Meretz MK Horowitz
Following a heated political battle in the Knesset plenum, Wednesday saw the resumption of the accelerated procedure to push forward the bill to change the composition of the judges' appointment committee.
The Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee convened in order to approve it ahead of its submission for a first reading in the plenum – and its members also got involved in the argument. The bill was approved for its first reading, after some modifications, but the story was far from over.
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"This is an attempt to take advantage of the parliamentary majority in order to carry out a coup against the courts," the opposition members called out.
Black flags in Knesset over controversial bills (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
The original bill submitted by MK Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beiteinu), calls for the automatic appointment of the Bar Association president to the state's judge selection committee. Its opponents claim that the bill aims at strengthening the influence of Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman and right wing MKs.
The opposition alleges that the speedy legislative procedure – through which the bill was passed its preliminary reading – is meant to bring legislative processes to their completion within just a few days, in order to enable the inclusion of the Bar Association chairman on the judges' appointment committee as early as the next election round.
Knesset Member Yariv Levin (Likud) who chaired the meeting, filling in for Committee Chairman David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu, suggested towards the end of the meeting that the Bar association representatives' selection committee choice be made with a two-thirds majority of the Bar Association vote.
This means that someone other than the Bar Association chairman could be elected to the selection committee.
The change caused an uproar in the committee. "The chairman is careless, he doesn't know the bill formula," said MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) who came in during the meeting. MK Shlomo Molla (Kadima) added: "This is hooliganism."
Personal attacks and a great deal of criticism were a central part of the discussion. Opposition members called coalition members "a gang of predatory neighborhood bullies." Knesset Member Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) claimed that the bill was a "disease".
"This is a fetid bill that has caused the Knesset to hit rock bottom," said Horowitz. "Democracy is not just the majority voting against the minority."
According to MK Nino Abesadze (Kadima), "You are acting like a bunch of disruptive or retarded children who received a toy called government and who are now trying to destroy everything that is good about it."
Contrary to Basic Law?
MK Taleb el-Sana (United Arab List-Ta'al) added that "the Nuremburg laws were also passed with a majority vote but they are unconstitutional. Not everything is allowed, some things are forbidden."
Bar Association Representative Chava Meritzky warned the committee members that the bill was contrary to Basic Law: The Judiciary. "Don't invite High Court Petitions on yourselves, later you will cry out over the High Court's involvement," adding: "In my opinion, the swift procedure embarrasses the coalition and embarrasses the Knesset."
In contrast, the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee's legal advisor Sigal Kugot said that "the new bill does not contradict Basic Law: The Judiciary.
"A vote with a two-thirds majority is not seen as a contradiction. A two-thirds majority does not negate the Bar Association council's discretion. The heart of the basic law says that the election principle is preserved and so it is possible to go ahead."
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