Knesset approves committee to organize parliamentary work after election, with support of Arab parties
Roy Folkman to chair 22-member panel tasked with forming temporary committees and preparing the makeup of the Knesset’s standing committees
The Knesset plenum on Wednesday approved a proposal by MK Roy Folkman of Yashar to establish a 22-member Arrangements Committee, with 63 lawmakers voting in favor and 50 against.
Lawmakers rejected an alternative proposal by Likud MK Ofir Katz for an 18-member committee, with seats allocated among parliamentary factions at a ratio of one representative for every seven lawmakers.
The committee, chaired by Folkman, is scheduled to meet later Wednesday to appoint temporary committees for finance and for foreign affairs and defense, and recommend their chairs.
The Arrangements Committee is responsible for proposing the membership of the Knesset’s standing committees for approval by the plenum. Until those committees are established, it may appoint temporary finance and foreign affairs and defense committees.
It also exercises the House Committee’s authority over parliamentary procedures and deliberations until that committee is formed, and may appoint temporary deputy Knesset speakers.
Under the law, the Arrangements Committee must be chaired by a lawmaker from the faction of the person tasked by the president with forming a government. Its membership must reflect the relative size of the parliamentary factions, with at least one seat for every faction that has four or more lawmakers.
Folkman’s approved proposal allocates seats at a ratio of one committee member for every five lawmakers. Likud will hold five seats and Yashar four. Beyachad, the Joint List, the Democrats and Ra’am will each have two seats. Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, Shas and Religious Zionism will each have one.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Folkman emphasized the need for compromise.
“In my view, good politics is pragmatic politics. Civility cannot be legislated, but there are norms and there are laws,” he said. “I proposed reaching an agreement with MK Katz on the committee’s composition because I believe in consensus. Disagreeing for its own sake serves no purpose, and there is no reason to create unnecessary tension.”
Katz said his initial proposal would have allocated one seat for every four lawmakers, giving his bloc 15 seats, the rival bloc 12 and the Arab factions four.
“After concerns were raised that the committee would be too large, we offered a genuine compromise: eight representatives for our bloc, seven for the other bloc and three for the Arab factions,” he said. “It is a fair proposal, but they refused because they are trying to conceal their cooperation with supporters of terrorism in the Knesset.”
Likud also criticized the outcome, accusing the parties of Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett of cooperating with Arab lawmakers.
“It has begun. The parties of Eisenkot, Lieberman and Bennett voted today alongside Tibi and Abbas in the Knesset plenum,” the party said. “We call on you to join us in unity. Stop cooperating with supporters of terrorism who boycott the national anthem.”