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Jun 10, 2010

Lack of attendance in land law vote

A new law in the works in Knesset is one that would limit the ability of foreign buyers in purchasing Israeli land. Any attempts of foreigners to buy land would have to be reviewed and approved by the Minister of Interior and by the Minister of Security.

I think this law is an important one. The idea is to limit the ability of hostile elements, foreign governments, specifically Arab governments or Arab groups from abroad, to buy up Israeli land.

A victim of the law would be Jews abroad trying to buy real estate in Israel would have some more beauracracy to go through.

To me this bill reminds me of the court cases over the past 12 years or so where the courts gave the right to buy land in Israel, land that was designated for Jewish moshavim, land that was developed using Jewish money and donations, to Arabs. This law, to me, is a counter to that right to buy land.

The bill passed its first reading yesterday unanimously. unanimous in this case was a vote of 27-0.

The Knesset is made up of 120 members. All that could turn up for this vote was 27 members? Such an important law and only 21% of the members can bother coming to vote? And none of the Arab members who would obviously oppose it, or others who might oppose the law - none of them could bother themselves to come and express their opinion?

Sure it was only a first vote, and it has to go through 3 more readings to pass. This is why the public thinks the MKs don't respect their jobs and the Knesset. They can't even be bothered to come for important votes.

4 comments:

  1. very normal for the knesset.

    ReplyDelete
  2. yes. thats a shame, isnt it?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rafi did I understand you correctly - that the process for a bill to become a law is that it has several preliminary readings and votes in the same knesset?

    Sounds to me like the process is the problem. Why show up when it doesn't count yet?

    ReplyDelete
  4. yes, but it can be the same knesset or span over multiple knessets. sometimes it happens fast and someimes it is a slow process.
    The idea of the 3 readings is that it gives them the opportunity to adjust the law being proposed and make amendments to it before it is finally passed. If you dont show up you are not just missing an unimportant vote, but also giving it legs to pass as it is (each time it passes it gains steam and gets authority of being supported) as well as losing the opp to make adjustments and have your opinion heard by others.

    ReplyDelete

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