Knesset Speaker Kadish Luz:

Members of the Knesset, we hold tonight our traditional celebration of the 15th of Shvat, as the Knesset marks its 17th birthday.

Two and a half months have passed since the Sixth Knesset began its work. The Knesset did not work at its best during this time. Two months elapsed until the government was installed. Bills that passed their first reading during the Fifth Knesset and were brought to the committees were not brought for repeated discussions in the Sixth Knesset, as former Knessets have done through the rule of continuity. These are the principal reasons for the weakness of the Sixth Knesset’s work so far.

The Minister of Finance will begin next week with the debate over the state budget for 1966-1967. We could not, for this reason, designate this sitting for discussing the state budget, as we have come to do in previous years. At these discussions, Members of the Knesset used to express their opinions on the changes in our parliamentary life, as well as suggest amendments and improvements.

I would have referred to a few subjects in my speech for the Knesset’s birthday. This time I will settle with a few notes:

A) The legal date of the elections, November 2nd, may, once every four years, prevent the Knesset from approving the annual state budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, April 1st. On those occasions, the Knesset has to approve a temporary budget for numerous months. I suggest that we think of the proper date to hold elections, which will allow for approving the budget under the legal date limitations.

B) The Arrangements Committee, among its proposals, has brought before the Knesset a proposal to install a subcommittee for a constitution, with a specially assigned chairperson, under the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. By accepting this proposal, the Sixth Knesset expressed its willingness to contribute to the formation and wording of the state’s constitution. I hope a chairperson will soon be elected to this subcommittee.

The House Committee appointed a special subcommittee for the examination of the Knesset Rules of Procedure. By doing so it expressed its tendency to examine and complete the Rules of Procedure. When the Sixth Knesset began its work, we provided its members with a new book of “Knesset Rules of Procedure, Decisions on Matters of Procedure and Laws relating to the Knesset.” This book, the work of Mr. Seger, will assist the subcommittee in its work.

I hereby inform the Members of the Knesset, especially to the new members, that the Knesset is holding counseling on legal matters to Knesset members by Dr. Kitron, and counseling on financial matters by Mr. Bezek.

I hope that next year’s celebration of 15th of Shvat will take place at the new Knesset building. If no exceptional events will occur, we will inaugurate the building on August 31st 1966.

I congratulate the Knesset members and the citizens of Israel on the Knesset’s 17th birthday, and invite you, Members of the Knesset, to the celebration tonight at 21:00.

The next sitting is tomorrow at 16:00. This sitting is adjourned.