Knesset’s Summer Session Opens

Posted on: April 30th, 2012

Unless new elections are called, this year's Summer Session will last less than three months, ending on July 25, 2012.

Government Job Cuts to Pay for Gas Tax Reduction

Posted on: April 19th, 2012

PM Netanyahu explained that lowering taxes means shrinking the government, and, this time, cutting taxes means cutting public sector jobs. He emphasized that no one needs to be fired if enough workers embrace early retirement or quit, but conceded that this means the ministries will not be hiring for a long time.

Knesset Member Vaknin Announces He Won’t Seek Re-Election

Posted on: April 18th, 2012

Vaknin has been a Knesset member representing the ultra-orthodox Shas party since the beginning of Prime Minister Netanyahu's first term in 1996. Considered a maverick, he distinguished himself in his party by holding that the thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews who don't learn in Yeshiva but are registered as such should be forced to serve in the military.

MK Eldad: Hatikva Will Start Membership Drive After Independence Day

Posted on: April 18th, 2012

MK Aryeh Eldad held a meeting with dozens of activists and supporters of the Hatikva Party at its Tel Aviv headquarters on Monday night. MK Eldad represents Hatikva in the National Union Faction.

National Union Recess Tour

Posted on: April 18th, 2012

The National Union went on the road this week, despite the Knesset's recess. Faction members visited Naot Kedumim and pledged to increase awareness of the Biblical landscape reserve. They also visited Ateret, where they were shocked to see a new access road being built by Arabs in Area C, an area under Israeli civilian and military control.

Knesset Calls Special Session; Migron Bills on Agenda

Posted on: April 17th, 2012

Two bills that were shelved back in January will be discussed following Likud MK Danny Danon's success in attaining 25 MKs' signatures to call a special session during the Knesset's 39-day spring recess.

100 Ultra-Orthodox Would-Be Soldiers Not Drafted in 2011

Posted on: April 16th, 2012

An officer close to the issue told the Jewish Press: "It is not that we turned away 100 soldiers - had they come to us we would have taken them anyway. But we were told to stop our Haredi outreach efforts which would have netted more recruits. The Tal Law is the big story though. If a new law does not pass we will be in a position to draft 60,000 Haredi soldiers in August."

Whither Kadima?

Posted on: March 29th, 2012

Tzipi Livni must decide on her first step. If she comes up short on the number of MKs needed to break away or if she decides against a split, she will most likely resign rather than stay on under Mofaz’s leadership. Whether or not Livni leaves, Kadima will break into two camps- those who will support Mofaz and those who will try to find another political home.

New Knesset Law Gets Tough on ‘Get’ Refusers

Posted on: March 21st, 2012

The law states that the Rabbinical Court must determine a court date for a Get within 45 days of a divorce sentence. If the Get is not given within that time, the court will issue a restriction order and hold another hearing within the following 45 days. The court will meet within 90 days of giving a restriction order to discuss it and decide if it must be extended. The court will be able to use these extensions as they see fit.

Noam Shalit’s First Political Interview

Posted on: March 19th, 2012

Shalit announced that he would talk with them if they agreed to it, and he would even shake the hands of Gilad's kidnappers, also saying he would kidnap Israeli soldiers if he was a Palestinian. He insisted that PM Binyamin Netanyahu was not solely responsible for the release of Gilad, and charged that the PM only released his son because the polls showed that 70-80% of the public supported the deal.