Knesset Speaker Shlomo Hillel:

I am honored to open this special sitting marking the 38th anniversary of the Knesset’s establishment.

Members of the Knesset, I would like to welcome and greet on your behalf those members of past Knessets who came here to join us today. Also among us are mayors and heads of local councils from development towns and small settlements. They are the Knesset’s guests today. They met with Members of the Knesset, exchanged words and expressed their thoughts. They came here today not to complain or demand budgets, but to express the share of the development towns in the fulfillment of the great Zionist vision of developing the country and dispersing the population, since their founding during the early years of the massive Aliyah. Today, the Knesset expresses its appreciation to the citizens of the development towns and to those who head them.

Members of the Knesset, these days the Knesset, the house of representatives, has returned to its status and serves as a stabilizing anchor in the drifty waters of a political crisis that is ahead of us, threatening, up to a point that the ship of the authorities was on the verge of breaking.

A democratic system cannot escape a governmental crisis. It might not be bad, for as long as the democracy is stable, undisputed and invulnerable – in its own eyes as well as the public’s – for if it will not be, any crisis can cause disappointment in democracy.

All those who thought it is legitimate to ignore the Knesset due to a wide and stable coalition, must know that they have contributed to the destabilization of the status of democracy. Technical arithmetic conveniences should not harm the essence. Even when the sword of no-confidence does not hang above the government’s head, one must remember that democracy is as any other ideological way of life: If you shall desert it for a day – it will desert you for two.

I often need to ask the government to maintain a presence of ministers in the plenum. It is difficult to understand, and even harder to agree with, that when a government has 25 ministers, some of whom with no portfolio, there is justification for the government table to remain orphaned so often. It should also not be agreed upon that the stands and decisions of the government are presented often before the media, while the members of the Knesset need to assemble the pieces. It should be ensured that the media will arrive to the Knesset in a respectable manner and listen to what the government has to say before the people. The house of representatives in a normal democratic rule is the place in which the government has to deliver its primary addresses.

I often hear resentment over the stands taken by the Knesset in the plenum and committees, or over the criticism raised against the government’s actions, and I find that I must repeatedly emphasize what any child who lives under a democratic rule must know – that the government derives its authority and confidence from the Knesset, and not the other way around.

Truthfully, members of the Knesset, I must admit that we too, the Knesset members, contribute to the erosion in the Knesset’s status. We create an atmosphere of a “Knesset in reserves,” meaning that the Knesset works in its plenum and committees by operating a small-sized “army,” and I would add and say that it is an army of rather permanent and well-known members, while the rest are being called for duty and for voting in times of emergency.

We must remember that democracy is equal to justice – it must not only be done, but also to be seen. The more we explain, argue and prove that we have a solid democracy, we will not succeed. The harm has been done, and it minimizes the hard and dedicated public work that is being done by most Knesset members, day and night, throughout the year.

I know that some of the problem with the Knesset’s image is derived from the conduct of our discussions. I believe that if we want to distance ourselves from the image of a crying voice in an empty hall, we are able to improve the situation and create more interest in the discussion by shortening and sharpening them. We have already made several small steps in this direction, but we must continue and initiate, and not settle for the peel without its contents.

I hope that the near completion of the electronic voting system will contribute its part in improving our parliamentary work, and maybe even increase the attendance of Knesset members in the plenum.

Members of the Knesset, it has become a tradition that our day of holiday is also a day for soul searching. I ask that we examine our style of argument and discussion, and I do not refer to the expressions of violence that are not a part of a Knesset that respects itself. When an argument arises over a budget or allowance there is a new trait in the State, besides the destructive atmosphere of “grab all you can get” that accompanies it, and instead of the Knesset member introducing the subject at hand, he stands up and slurs at his fellow colleagues. If everyone will behave in this way, I am afraid that we will succeed in convincing everyone that they are right. And we will look in that way in our own eyes and in the eyes of the younger generation, whom we expect to be our successors and the visionaries.

Members of the Knesset, the Eleventh Knesset has registered several respectable pages in the field of social legislation and in several basic issues. The Labor and Social Welfare Committee completed its work on the Nursing Insurance Bill, which sets legal arrangements for the improvement in the lives of the elderly, and the National Insurance Bill, which sets an up-to-date system for calculation of the average wage and for computing pension fees. The Constitution, Law and Justice Committee completed its work on the Administrative Offenses Bill, which has refreshed the penalties. I cannot list the great work in these fields, but I will mention, with your permission, the completion of legislation against racism, which – despite the criticism on its quality – visualized the determination of the democratic system in annihilating this phenomenon while in the bud. I hope that this Knesset will also carry out a contribution towards a constitution and complete the Basic Law: Human Rights. By doing so, it will enable to turn the basic laws into a true constitution.

This Knesset has set a precedent by establishing, for the first time, a national inquiry commission. Special thanks on this matter should go to the outgoing State Comptroller, Mr. Yitzhak Tunik, and the State Control Committee chaired by MK David Libai. The painful facts unearthed on the actions of the banking system only strengthen the importance of the commission and its conclusions, as well as the importance and significance of the initiative taken by the State Control Committee.

Even on internal issues, on the issue of ethics, the Knesset has set a precedent by bestowing upon a public committee, headed by former State Comptroller Yitzhak Neventzal, to examine the wages of Knesset members. The committee presented its conclusions several weeks ago and succeeded in uprooting several weeds that have grown in our fields in recent years, especially regarding retirement and other related conditions.

In response to the Neventzal Committee, the Knesset made several important and far-reaching decisions last week regarding the additional jobs of Knesset members, which was of great concern to us, especially in recent years. Some of the decisions are for immediate implementation with no further delay, and I am certain that by doing so we will provide a true contribution to public integrity and to the strengthening of the Knesset and its prestige.

We mark this year the twentieth year since the completion of this building, and this affair may have been noteworthy in itself, but we will take this opportunity on the Knesset’s birthday to extend our gratitude to the planners, sponsors and executors. The Knesset building has become a strong symbol of democracy, and it is visited every year by thousands from Israel and abroad. Nevertheless, we are all aware of the restrictions and the limited space that does not allow the members to work properly, and for the Knesset to conduct its work internationally. I hope that despite the budget limitations we can slowly promote the completion of the construction. In the meantime, we will continue to improve the available systems at our service and ensure that the Knesset conducts significant supervision over the government, by strengthening the department for legal advice, operating an information unit and expanding the computer system.

As I reach the end of my speech, I must thank three establishments: The parliamentary workers, Israel Army Radio and “The Israeli Broadcasts,” for their efforts to expand and provide depth to the reports from the Knesset. Other than the regular and good radio programs, such as “This Week in the Knesset” and “The Knesset’s Section,” they started recently with live broadcasts of parliamentary questions. I look forward to the continuation of the broadcasts and their expansion, and I am certain that it will provide an important service for the wide public and for the democratic system. These broadcasts are also found in other countries, considered a success by the public and accepted willingly, as this service enables them to look over the actions of their representatives in a significant and fair way.

I wish to thank the Information Center, which arranges continuous visits in the Knesset by high school students from across the country, and organizing educational seminars on democracy. I know that this causes great inconvenience to the members of the house, and I hope that we will learn to accept these interferences with love. About 7,000 students took part in this project, and the feedback justifies the expectations. This is in addition to more than 25,000 soldiers and students that have visited the Knesset in the past year and met with Knesset members, and about 500,000 citizens and tourists who visited the Knesset and were received by guides. It is a remarkable number of participants in the meeting of the public with the house of representatives, and it is a number that that provides an indicator of the public’s interest.

Last but not least – the house employees and members of the Knesset Guard. We thank them on this Knesset’s birthday and appreciate their dedicated work in all hours of the day, and after working hours. It is through their dedication and responsibility that we succeed in doing all activities of this house.

Members of the Knesset, after we hear the speech of the Vice Prime Minister, we will hear a parliamentary question, to be followed by a discussion on the development towns. We will adjourn this sitting at 17:30, and at 18:00 you are invited to join us in the ceremony for distributing the Knesset Speaker’s Prize for the Quality of Life, which has become a part of the Knesset’s birthday celebrations, and will be followed by a social gathering. Happy festivities.