6 jan 2020
Hike sees lawmakers' monthly salary rise to NIS 45,251, ministers' pay increases to NIS 50,623 - fourfold national average of NIS 11,000
Knesset members voted to raise their monthly salary by 2.8% starting January, despite more than a year of parliamentary inaction due to the political turmoil engulfing Israel.
A lawmaker's monthly pay was increased by NIS 1,232 ($354) per month to NIS 45,251 ($12,992), while ministers see their wages increased to NIS 50,623 ($14,535$) per month. The average national salary is approximately NIS 11,000, roughly one quarter of what lawmakers earn.
President Reuven Rivlin will also see an increase in his salary, receiving NIS 64,616 ($18,552) a month, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who is currently seeking permission to solicit donations for his legal expenses - will see his monthly income grow to NIS 56,295 ($16,163).
Only 15 MKs asked to be excluded from the pay rise, including Yisrael Beytenu Leader Avigdor Liberman, Likud lawmaker Ofir Katz and Labor leader Amir Peretz.
Just five MKs from Blue & White declined the increase, despite the party's previous announcement that all of its lawmakers would refuse to receive the pay rise.
All 120 members of Knesset went on hiatus in December 2018 due to the April 2019 elections. Parliament was active for a mere total of two and a half months in 2019, due to Israel's major parties inability to form a government, the two national elections and the upcoming third ballot in March.
The 23rd Knesset is supposed to be inaugurated on March 16, two weeks after the elections. Members of Knesset go on recess for Passover soon after, returning in mid-May - all while receiving their monthly salary.
If a government is indeed formed after the March 2 elections, Knesset will be resuming work after a year and a half of inactivity during which MKs also received their monthly salary.
According to the National Insurance Institute, there are approximately 2 million Israelis living in poverty, including 800,000 children, while the stipend given to the elderly stands at NIS 1,554 ($446) a month.
Knesset members voted to raise their monthly salary by 2.8% starting January, despite more than a year of parliamentary inaction due to the political turmoil engulfing Israel.
A lawmaker's monthly pay was increased by NIS 1,232 ($354) per month to NIS 45,251 ($12,992), while ministers see their wages increased to NIS 50,623 ($14,535$) per month. The average national salary is approximately NIS 11,000, roughly one quarter of what lawmakers earn.
President Reuven Rivlin will also see an increase in his salary, receiving NIS 64,616 ($18,552) a month, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who is currently seeking permission to solicit donations for his legal expenses - will see his monthly income grow to NIS 56,295 ($16,163).
Only 15 MKs asked to be excluded from the pay rise, including Yisrael Beytenu Leader Avigdor Liberman, Likud lawmaker Ofir Katz and Labor leader Amir Peretz.
Just five MKs from Blue & White declined the increase, despite the party's previous announcement that all of its lawmakers would refuse to receive the pay rise.
All 120 members of Knesset went on hiatus in December 2018 due to the April 2019 elections. Parliament was active for a mere total of two and a half months in 2019, due to Israel's major parties inability to form a government, the two national elections and the upcoming third ballot in March.
The 23rd Knesset is supposed to be inaugurated on March 16, two weeks after the elections. Members of Knesset go on recess for Passover soon after, returning in mid-May - all while receiving their monthly salary.
If a government is indeed formed after the March 2 elections, Knesset will be resuming work after a year and a half of inactivity during which MKs also received their monthly salary.
According to the National Insurance Institute, there are approximately 2 million Israelis living in poverty, including 800,000 children, while the stipend given to the elderly stands at NIS 1,554 ($446) a month.
5 jan 2020
The Israeli military closed a ski resort in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, on Saturday, due to concerns over what it calls possible threats from Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Syria, or Palestinian resistance movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Days of Palestine reported.
The closing of the Mount Hermon resort, which was the target of a previous missile attack, came after the Pentagon confirmed that US President Donald Trump had ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
“Considering the situation, it was decided that the Hermon site would not be open to visitors today,” said the Israeli army in a tweet. “There are no additional guidelines for Golan residents, and the routine continues.”
Israel’s Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, called for a situation assessment with the heads of the defence establishment at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Greece was cut short, returning to Israel amid fears that Iran will exact revenge on the occupation state for America’s assassination of the Iranian general.
Netanyahu arrived in Athens on Thursday for a meeting with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus over the construction of a pipeline that would take Palestinian and Cypriot natural gas to Europe via Greece.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has condemned the US assassination of the senior Iranian military commander, as did Islamic Jihad.
Soleimani was killed in a US air strike in Iraq on Friday. In separate statements, both Palestinian factions put the instability in the region down to Washington’s unconditional support for the occupation state of Israel.
The closing of the Mount Hermon resort, which was the target of a previous missile attack, came after the Pentagon confirmed that US President Donald Trump had ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
“Considering the situation, it was decided that the Hermon site would not be open to visitors today,” said the Israeli army in a tweet. “There are no additional guidelines for Golan residents, and the routine continues.”
Israel’s Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett, called for a situation assessment with the heads of the defence establishment at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Greece was cut short, returning to Israel amid fears that Iran will exact revenge on the occupation state for America’s assassination of the Iranian general.
Netanyahu arrived in Athens on Thursday for a meeting with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus over the construction of a pipeline that would take Palestinian and Cypriot natural gas to Europe via Greece.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has condemned the US assassination of the senior Iranian military commander, as did Islamic Jihad.
Soleimani was killed in a US air strike in Iraq on Friday. In separate statements, both Palestinian factions put the instability in the region down to Washington’s unconditional support for the occupation state of Israel.
2 jan 2020
The justices presiding over the hearing decide not to give their opinion on whether Netanyahu, indicted on 3 corruption charges, could stay in his role as Israel's premier if his Likud party wins the March 2 election
The High Court of Justice ruled Thursday it will not give its opinion on whether an indicted parliament member can form a new government, effectively giving way to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a coalition if he emerges victorious after the March 2 elections.
Israeli law requires cabinet ministers and mayors to resign if indicted but does not specify so for a sitting prime minister. There are no restrictions on Netanyahu to run in the unprecedented third elections in less than a year, but good governance groups petitioned the court, claiming he could not be tasked with forming a new government.
Chief Justice Esther Hayut, Deputy Justice Hanan Melcer and Justice Uzi Vogelman, who presided over the hearing, threw out the petition, ruling it to be highly hypothetical.
“At this time, it is theoretical and premature.”
The court said that the election campaign period is a "realm of uncertainty" and that it remains to be seen who the president will select to form a government after the March 2 vote. The judges said that in light of the "most sensitive and complicated period the state of Israel is in at this time," it decided to "act with restraint and moderation" and dismiss the petition for the time being.
"The issue raised in the petition is fundamental and concerns the principle of the rule of law, the integrity of elected representatives and public confidence in government institutions. Thus, it touches on the core values on which our judicial system is based,” said the ruling.
"However, according to the electoral system in Israel, the public votes for party lists and not for potential candidates to become prime minister."
The court emphasized the prime minister is eligible to run in the upcoming elections as the leader of the ruling Likud party since there are no laws that prohibit him from doing so, regardless of the concerns stated in the petition.
The hearing comes just a day after Netanyahu said he will seek immunity from the corruption charges against him, delaying the prospect of a trial until the elections when he hopes to have a parliamentary majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution.
The request for immunity is likely to languish under the current parliament. Normally, a request for immunity would need to be approved by a parliamentary committee and then submitted to a full vote. But the committee charged with handling such matters doesn’t exist because a government was never formed after September’s election.
The attorney general cannot file the indictment until the question of immunity is settled, delaying any court proceedings.
The High Court of Justice ruled Thursday it will not give its opinion on whether an indicted parliament member can form a new government, effectively giving way to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a coalition if he emerges victorious after the March 2 elections.
Israeli law requires cabinet ministers and mayors to resign if indicted but does not specify so for a sitting prime minister. There are no restrictions on Netanyahu to run in the unprecedented third elections in less than a year, but good governance groups petitioned the court, claiming he could not be tasked with forming a new government.
Chief Justice Esther Hayut, Deputy Justice Hanan Melcer and Justice Uzi Vogelman, who presided over the hearing, threw out the petition, ruling it to be highly hypothetical.
“At this time, it is theoretical and premature.”
The court said that the election campaign period is a "realm of uncertainty" and that it remains to be seen who the president will select to form a government after the March 2 vote. The judges said that in light of the "most sensitive and complicated period the state of Israel is in at this time," it decided to "act with restraint and moderation" and dismiss the petition for the time being.
"The issue raised in the petition is fundamental and concerns the principle of the rule of law, the integrity of elected representatives and public confidence in government institutions. Thus, it touches on the core values on which our judicial system is based,” said the ruling.
"However, according to the electoral system in Israel, the public votes for party lists and not for potential candidates to become prime minister."
The court emphasized the prime minister is eligible to run in the upcoming elections as the leader of the ruling Likud party since there are no laws that prohibit him from doing so, regardless of the concerns stated in the petition.
The hearing comes just a day after Netanyahu said he will seek immunity from the corruption charges against him, delaying the prospect of a trial until the elections when he hopes to have a parliamentary majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution.
The request for immunity is likely to languish under the current parliament. Normally, a request for immunity would need to be approved by a parliamentary committee and then submitted to a full vote. But the committee charged with handling such matters doesn’t exist because a government was never formed after September’s election.
The attorney general cannot file the indictment until the question of immunity is settled, delaying any court proceedings.
1 jan 2020
An elderly person rummaging through trash
National Insurance Institute data shows Israel second only to Turkey in child poverty among OECD countries; Netanyahu praises decrease in percentage of families living below poverty line
The poverty rate in Israel has grown by a percent over the last year – with a bigger increase in the number of children under the line of poverty, according to the poverty report for 2018 published by the National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII) on Tuesday.
According to the report, 490,400 families in Israel live in poverty, among them are 841,700 children.
The number of children living in poverty has increased by 27,000 since 2017.
The percentage of the population living in poverty (excluding eastern Jerusalem) rose from about 19.4% in 2017 to about 20.4% in 2018.
The percentage of children living in poverty rose from about 27.1% in 2017 to about 29.1% in 2018.
The percentage of households living in poverty has remained nearly unchanged, with 17.4% in 2017 to 17.5% in 2018.
Palestinian families living in eastern Jerusalem were not included in the study because of "difficulties to accurately sample the population and misguided results stemming from the reality in the neighborhoods", according to an NII official.
Israel currently finds itself fourth from last in poverty within the OECD countries, with a poverty rate higher than in other countries such as the United States, South Korea, and Turkey.
An OECD report published several months ago, estimated the poverty rate amongst Israeli children to be 22%, second only to Turkey.
Although data shows a rise in the poverty rate, the poverty gap of Israel's poor has improved in 2018 and stands at 4.1% in comparison to 4.9% in 2017.
The poverty rate amongst the elderly has grown from 17.2% to 18.8%. The number of households living in poverty where the head of the family is an elderly person has risen from 21.8% to 23.4%.
The poverty gap within these same households has increased from 27.7% to 32%. Data also shows that the poverty rate is much higher in older families than younger ones.
The poverty rate among Arab families has climbed from about 42.6% to 44.2%. The poverty gap among Arab families decreased from 47.1% to 45.3%.
The poverty rate among immigrants in Israel has gone down significantly, from 18.4% to 16%. However, the poverty gap among immigrants increased by about 3%.
The poverty rate among working families has gone down from 12.6% to 12.3%. However, the poverty rate has grown from 5% to 5.6% among families with two or more providers.
The poverty gap among families with a single provider living in poverty has gone down by about 6% and about 5% for families with two providers.
Last year has also seen an increase in gaps between men and women. The poverty rate among women has gone up by 0.2%, with men's going down by -0.8%, showing a continued increase in the wage gap between the sexes.
Prime Minister and caretaker Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decrease in the poverty gap and number of those living in abject poverty, citing a 6.9% increase in income for families living in the lowest economic classes.
"We will continue to reduce the poverty rate in this country and work to increase retirement pensions for the elderly," said Netanyahu.
NII Director General Meir Shpigler stated that although there are some encouraging data in the report, there is a lot to be done against poverty in Israel.
"The government must continue and work to decrease the poverty rate, especially among the country's elderly," Shipgler said. "The NII is raising pensions in accordance with the current average salary and not a fixed rate.
This change is needed due to increasing average life expectancy - for the welfare of millions of senior citizens and it is our duty to make sure they live respectable lives."
National Insurance Institute data shows Israel second only to Turkey in child poverty among OECD countries; Netanyahu praises decrease in percentage of families living below poverty line
The poverty rate in Israel has grown by a percent over the last year – with a bigger increase in the number of children under the line of poverty, according to the poverty report for 2018 published by the National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII) on Tuesday.
According to the report, 490,400 families in Israel live in poverty, among them are 841,700 children.
The number of children living in poverty has increased by 27,000 since 2017.
The percentage of the population living in poverty (excluding eastern Jerusalem) rose from about 19.4% in 2017 to about 20.4% in 2018.
The percentage of children living in poverty rose from about 27.1% in 2017 to about 29.1% in 2018.
The percentage of households living in poverty has remained nearly unchanged, with 17.4% in 2017 to 17.5% in 2018.
Palestinian families living in eastern Jerusalem were not included in the study because of "difficulties to accurately sample the population and misguided results stemming from the reality in the neighborhoods", according to an NII official.
Israel currently finds itself fourth from last in poverty within the OECD countries, with a poverty rate higher than in other countries such as the United States, South Korea, and Turkey.
An OECD report published several months ago, estimated the poverty rate amongst Israeli children to be 22%, second only to Turkey.
Although data shows a rise in the poverty rate, the poverty gap of Israel's poor has improved in 2018 and stands at 4.1% in comparison to 4.9% in 2017.
The poverty rate amongst the elderly has grown from 17.2% to 18.8%. The number of households living in poverty where the head of the family is an elderly person has risen from 21.8% to 23.4%.
The poverty gap within these same households has increased from 27.7% to 32%. Data also shows that the poverty rate is much higher in older families than younger ones.
The poverty rate among Arab families has climbed from about 42.6% to 44.2%. The poverty gap among Arab families decreased from 47.1% to 45.3%.
The poverty rate among immigrants in Israel has gone down significantly, from 18.4% to 16%. However, the poverty gap among immigrants increased by about 3%.
The poverty rate among working families has gone down from 12.6% to 12.3%. However, the poverty rate has grown from 5% to 5.6% among families with two or more providers.
The poverty gap among families with a single provider living in poverty has gone down by about 6% and about 5% for families with two providers.
Last year has also seen an increase in gaps between men and women. The poverty rate among women has gone up by 0.2%, with men's going down by -0.8%, showing a continued increase in the wage gap between the sexes.
Prime Minister and caretaker Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decrease in the poverty gap and number of those living in abject poverty, citing a 6.9% increase in income for families living in the lowest economic classes.
"We will continue to reduce the poverty rate in this country and work to increase retirement pensions for the elderly," said Netanyahu.
NII Director General Meir Shpigler stated that although there are some encouraging data in the report, there is a lot to be done against poverty in Israel.
"The government must continue and work to decrease the poverty rate, especially among the country's elderly," Shipgler said. "The NII is raising pensions in accordance with the current average salary and not a fixed rate.
This change is needed due to increasing average life expectancy - for the welfare of millions of senior citizens and it is our duty to make sure they live respectable lives."
On Tuesday morning, the Israeli Supreme Court opened a special session to consider the petition against the eligibility of Benjamin Netanyahu, the interim Israeli Prime Minister, in forming a government, in light of criminal charges against him, the Palestine News Network reported.
The Hebrew newspaper “Yediot Aharonot” said that “a committee composed of three judges in the court started looking at the possibility that a member of the Knesset (parliament), who is forming a government while facing criminal crimes, would refer to Netanyahu.
The Judicial Committee is chaired by the President of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut, the Vice-President of the Supreme Court, Hanan Melcer, and Judge Uzi Fogelman.
The petition was submitted by nearly 70 Israeli personalities, including university professors, and technology and security workers, who were seeking to prevent Netanyahu from forming the government, after the March 2 Israeli elections, to file an indictment against him with corruption files.
According to “Yediot,” the Supreme Court asked the Israeli Attorney General and Judicial Adviser to the government, Avichai Mendelblit, to provide his legal opinion in this regard, but he answered, saying that he “wants to wait even after the court’s ruling.”
Opponents of Netanyahu say he refused to form a broad unity government and insisted on holding elections, the third in less than a year, to give himself more room to maneuver to evade the trial.
On December 13, the Knesset announced that it would dissolve itself and hold early elections on March 2, 2020, after Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz failed for the second time to obtain a majority of 61 (out of 120) representatives to form a government.
Next Thursday, a deadline for Netanyahu to submit a request for immunity to the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Adelstein, from trial in three corruption cases, expires.
The government’s attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, announced last month that he had filed an indictment against Netanyahu on charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud.
In the event that Netanyahu makes the request for immunity, all legal measures against him will be suspended until the formation of the government and the parliamentary committee concerned with deciding to grant him immunity.
The Hebrew newspaper “Yediot Aharonot” said that “a committee composed of three judges in the court started looking at the possibility that a member of the Knesset (parliament), who is forming a government while facing criminal crimes, would refer to Netanyahu.
The Judicial Committee is chaired by the President of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut, the Vice-President of the Supreme Court, Hanan Melcer, and Judge Uzi Fogelman.
The petition was submitted by nearly 70 Israeli personalities, including university professors, and technology and security workers, who were seeking to prevent Netanyahu from forming the government, after the March 2 Israeli elections, to file an indictment against him with corruption files.
According to “Yediot,” the Supreme Court asked the Israeli Attorney General and Judicial Adviser to the government, Avichai Mendelblit, to provide his legal opinion in this regard, but he answered, saying that he “wants to wait even after the court’s ruling.”
Opponents of Netanyahu say he refused to form a broad unity government and insisted on holding elections, the third in less than a year, to give himself more room to maneuver to evade the trial.
On December 13, the Knesset announced that it would dissolve itself and hold early elections on March 2, 2020, after Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz failed for the second time to obtain a majority of 61 (out of 120) representatives to form a government.
Next Thursday, a deadline for Netanyahu to submit a request for immunity to the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Adelstein, from trial in three corruption cases, expires.
The government’s attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, announced last month that he had filed an indictment against Netanyahu on charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud.
In the event that Netanyahu makes the request for immunity, all legal measures against him will be suspended until the formation of the government and the parliamentary committee concerned with deciding to grant him immunity.
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