Tu Bishvat party in the Knesset, January 18, 1965

Knesset Speaker Kadish Luz:

I must conclude this sitting by dedicating a few words to the Knesset, on its birthday. We could not fulfill this year our custom, initiated at the request of Knesset members, to dedicate the 15th of Shvat for debate on the budgets of the Knesset and the President of the State. The State Budget was indeed presented to the Knesset at a quite early stage, but the Jewish calendar precedes the civilian calendar on leap years, and thus the Knesset did not begin yet with the second reading of the budget.

The Fifth Knesset is approaching the end of its term. It is its last celebration of the 15th of Shvat. In a meeting I held with the chairpersons of the parliamentary groups, it was decided that all efforts will be made to push up all bills found in the committees being prepared for second and third readings. In that meeting we also discussed the proper way to follow-up on the committees’ conclusions that are passed onto members of the government. The House Committee will receive a protocol of this meeting and conduct a discussion in order to reach an appropriate decision.

Tu Bishvat party in the Knesset, January 18, 1965

I ordered that a new edition of the Knesset Rules of Procedure be prepared towards the Sixth Knesset, as many changes and amendments were made during the Fourth and Fifth Knessets, and the current edition is no longer functional. However, I must reiterate and say that the formation of the Rules of Procedure is yet to be complete. A few procedures of the Knesset’s work have not yet been defined: there is a contradiction between the rules and the conduct regarding the authority of the committees; several procedures are in need of further clarification and re-articulation; the reliance on conduct is not sufficient, as in most cases there were different actions taken by different chairpersons of sittings. It would be appropriate to conduct the Knesset’s affairs according to the Rules of Procedure, and not on the whim of one parliamentary group or another. If a majority of Knesset members see fit to change a certain article in the rules, it should be fairly easy to change it by a House Committee resolution.

The legislative institute must follow the law even in matters relating to itself. In accordance with the law, the Rules of Procedure require the approval of the Knesset, and not of the House Committee alone. In my opinion, the House Committee should bring the Rules of Procedure to the plenum for approval. And in the future, each new rule should be brought for the Knesset’s approval.

Members of the Knesset, I greet you and the citizens of the state on this 15th of Shvat, and hereby invite you to the Knesset’s birthday celebration, today at 21:00.

The sitting is adjourned.