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The results of the elections to the eleventh Knesset were a draw between the
right-wing - religious bloc and the left-wing - Arab bloc (60:60), and a national
unity government was the only way out of the deadlock. Two such governments served
during the term of the 11th Knesset - one headed by Shimon Peres and the second
headed by Yitzhak Shamir.
The principle of rotation between the two was formalized in the coalition
agreement. The work of the Knesset was influenced by the fact that more than three
quarters of the members belonged to the coalition, and in order to enable the members
of the opposition to fulfil their duties properly, certain changes had to be
introduced in the Knesset rules and regulations. Shas - an ultra-religious Sephardi
party - first entered the eleventh Knesset with four MKs. The election to the
Knesset of the extreme Right-wing Rabbi Meir Kahane resulted in the amendment of
several laws, the goal of which was to prevent lists which incite to racism from being
elected to the Knesset. (See Basic Law: the Knesset.)
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At the same opportunity it was also laid down that lists which reject the
democractic nature of the State of Israel or its being the state of the
Jewish people, cannot be elected to the Knesset. One of the first issues
dealt with by the National Unity Government and the Knesset was the
economic crisis. In order to contend with the three digit rate of
inflation and stabilize the economy, measures were taken that led to a
sharp rise in unemployment, financial difficulties in many companies,
kibbutzim, moshavim and private farms.
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Demonstration with the participation of MKs from the whole political spectrum, 10.7.1988.
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The Bejski Commission published its report on the manipulation of the
bank shares by the banks, and the collapse of the market. The IDF was
taken out of Lebanon, and intensive efforts were made to release the
Israeli prisoners held by the terrorist organizations in Lebanon. One
of the left-overs from Operation Peace for the Galilee was the libel
suit brought by Minister Ariel Sharon against Time magazine.
In the course of th 11th Knesset the Order for the Prevention of Terror was amended,
and all unauthorized contacts with the PLO and other terrorist organizations, was
prohibited. Terrorist attacks on individuals - such as the attack on the two hikers
at Kremisan and the murder ofthe boy Rami Habba - as well as cases of arson, became
more frequent. At the end of 1987 the intifada broke out. Amongst the many issues
which came up during the term of the 11th Knesset were the London Agreement between
Shimon Peres and King Hussein; the Reagan Plan;
the proposal that Israel introduce an autonomy plan in Judea, Samaria
and Gaza unilaterally; the return of Taba to Egypt; the GSS affair which
followed the No. 300 Bus scandal;
the release of the members of the Jewish Underground; the Demjanjuk trial; the
Pollard Affair; the problem of "deserters" amongst the Jews who left the Soviet Union
with Israeli visas; the crisis in the health system, including the problem of black
medicine; the issue of organ transplants; the problem of the "grey education," the
construction of Voice of America" transmitters in the Arava; and complaints
of violence by policemen.
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