English Translations of Hebrew Papers

The papers of the IRD are all written originally in Hebrew. Below is a list of those that have been fully translated into English.

Establishing a Research and Information Centre in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset)      

Date: 13/12/2011
Written by: Shirley Avrami


Israel Sopemi Report - Immigration in Israel 2010-2011      

Date: 13/12/2011
Written by: Nathan Gilad


Methods of Immigrant Absorption in Israel      

Date: 03/02/2011
Written by: Flora Koch Davidovich

This paper was written at the request of the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee in preparation for a meeting to discuss ”Methods of Immigrant Absorption-Absorption Centres, Community Absorption and Direct Absorption” which will take place on February 7th, 2011 with the participation of representatives of European Parliaments , and in coordination with the European Friends of Israel.This paper will present general and brief information on the main methods of immigrant absorption in Israel.

Information Regarding Scientific Research and Research and Development in Israel      

Date: 03/02/2011
Written by: Roy Goldschmidt

This document was written in preparation for a meeting of the members of the Knesset Science and Technology Committee with members of European Parliaments on February 7, 2011. The document provides a brief overview of the following topics: scientific research in Israel; applied research in Israel; industrial research and development; and scientific and R&D international collaborations.

Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation on Water Issues      

Date: 02/02/2011
Written by: Ori Tal-Spiro

This document was written in preparation for a discussion by the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee with members of European parliaments on the subject of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation on water issues.

Foreign Legislative Arrangements Related to the Duty of Disclosure of Foreign Funding and the Prevention of Calls for Boycotts      

Date: 30/01/2011
Written by: Gilad Naveh

This document was written as background material in preparation for a discussion to be held in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee with European parliamentary representatives, in cooperation with the European Friends of Israel organization.

National Programme to Meet the Problem of Infiltrators and Asylum Seekers Entering Israel across the Egyptian Border      

Date: 25/01/2011
Written by: Nathan Gilad

This document was written at the request of MK Yaakov Katz, Chair of the Special Committee on Foreign Workers, in preparation for the Committee debate with the participation of representatives of the European Friends of Israel. The document reviews the national programmes to meet the problem of illegal border crossings into Israel by infiltrators and asylum seekers from Africa.

The Research and Information Center (RIC) – Summary of Activity in 2010      

Date: 02/01/2011
Written by: Shirley Avrami

This document summarizes the activity of the RIC in 2010.

The Use of the Drug “Yaba” Among the Thai Agricultural Workers and the Reasons for Its Use      

Date: 26/10/2010
Written by: Nathan Gilad

This document has been prepared at the request of Member of Knesset Mohamed Barakeh, Chairman of the Campaign against Drugs Committee, and in it the use is examined of the amphetamine drug known as “Yaba” among foreign workers from Thailand working in the agricultural sector.

Integration of People with Disabilities at Work      

Date: 03/05/2010
Written by: Flora Koch Davidovich

This document, concerning the integration of people with disabilities in the Israeli labor market, was prepared at the request of MK Ilan Gilon and presents Israel’s policy as related to the integration of people with disabilities in the labor market, the relevant legislation and the German model of integrating people with disabilities in the labor market.

Issues Relating to the Employment of Foreign Workers in Agriculture      

Date: 03/02/2010
Written by: Nathan Gilad

This document has been produced in anticipation of the deliberations that are about to take place shortly, on February 17, 2010, of the Special Commission for Examining the Problem of Foreign Workers. The document deals with the problems involved in the employment of Foreign Workers in the Agricultural Sector. The purpose of the document is to examine the data relating to the employees in the sector, the customary system of employment in it and the problems connected with this system.

Migrant Workers and Victims of Human Trafficking: The Government`s Policy and Activity of the Immigration Authority      

Date: 20/10/2009
Written by: Nathan Gilad

This Document has been produced at the request of Member of Knesset Orit Suarez, Chair of the Sub-Committee for the Campaign against Trafficking in Women, and Member of Knesset Yaakov Katz, Chair of the Special Commission for Examining of the Problem of Foreign Workers. The Document examines the Policy of the Ministry of Interior through the Population, Immigration and Border Crossings Authority (hereinafter: The Immigration Authority) in relation to foreign workers, migrant workers and victims of human trafficking in Israel. The Immigration Authority was assigned upon its establishment, the responsibility for dealing with all the subjects that are related to migrant workers, whether legal or illegal, and with the regulation of the status of the victims of human trafficking. The Document reviews the immigration policy of the Government of Israel, the process of establishment of the Immigration Authority, its activity and the handling of victims of human trafficking. It should be pointed out that this document does not deal with asylum seekers claiming entitlement to refugee status.

Two-Year (Biennial) Budgets      

Date: 19/10/2009
Written by: Susan Hattis Rolef

On July 15, 2009, the Knesset approved the first two-year budget in the history of the State of Israel, for the years 2009-2010. To a large extent the budget was a necessity resulting from circumstances: towards the elections to the 18th Knesset that took place on February 10, 2009, the Budget Bill for 2009 was not approved, and the 32nd Government, headed by Binyamin Netanyahu, began its term on March 31, 2009, without an approved annual budget , with an expectation that the Government would have to get the budget for 2009 approved, and immediately start discussions on the budget for 2010. With the approval of the Attorney General, and after the enactment of Basic Law: the State Budget (special instructions for the years 2009-2010) (ordinance), a two-year budget was approved. The Minister of Finance in the Netanyahu Government, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, argued that the two-year budget ”is apparently the first budget of its kind, also in the history of the whole Western world”.

Implementing the Law on Inclusion - Update      

Date: 08/05/2007
Written by: Yuval Vurgan

This document was written prior to the discussion in the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the Knesset, and it deals with implementing the provisions of the law about including students with special needs in the regular education system (Special Education Law – 1988, the chapter that deals with inclusion).

Public Trust in Parliament – A Comparative Study      

Date: 28/03/2006
Written by: Susan Hattis Rolef

The study was prepared at the request of the Secretary General of the Knesset, following the serious findings of the 2001 Knesset Index. The study, which examines the issue of the decline in public trust in parliaments and other institutions of government in the democratic states in recent decades, is based on the answers of 21 Secretaries General of parliaments to a questionnaire we distributed, the data of national and international public opinion surveys, the reports of various committees in the world that examined the subject, and academic literature. The study also deals with attempts to introduce reforms to address the problem.

The Arrangements Law – Issues and International Comparisons      

Date: 08/09/2005
Written by: Susan Hattis Rolef

This study was initiated by the Research and Information Center following various specific requests received from various bodies in the Knesset concerning the Arrangements Law – an omnibus law attached to the annual budget law, which formally contains amendments to existing legislation, required for the implementation of the budget. The study analyses the issues connected with the Arrangements Law. The study presents for the first time information on identical and similar laws in other countries; describes the attempts that were made in the Knesset in the past to contend with the various problems raised by the law; and lists the ways with which one may contend with them.

Sperm Donation in Israel      

Date: 01/03/2005
Written by: Nomi Mey-Ami

This document was prepared for a debate held by the Knesset Committee on the Rights of the Child about sperm donation in Israel. The document provides a survey of the following topics: 1. Data on sperm donation in Israel; 2. Changes in conditions for receiving a sperm donation; 3. Changes in the composition of the population requiring sperm donation in Israel; 4. Ministry of Health regulations for management of a sperm bank; 5. Management of a central information base and preservation of donor anonymity – arguments for and against; 6. The emotional implications on the child of being conceived through sperm donation; 7. The right to parenthood vs. the welfare of the child; 8. Legal aspects of sperm donation; 9. An international comparison of legislation on the issue.

Party Financing and Elections Financing in Israel      

Date: 21/07/2003
Written by: Susan Hattis Rolef, Sarah Zwebner, Liat Ben-Meir

The compilation of material in this paper was prepared at the request of the Secretary General of the Knesset, Mr. Arie Hahn, for Dr. Thomas Grant, for the Amicus Curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court of the United States in connection with the Mc. Connell v. FEC case. The material provides background information regarding Israel`s party financing and election propaganda laws, with particular reference to the issue known in the United States as ”soft money”. This paper was prepared originally in English.

Television Channels that Broadcast from Parliaments in the World      

Date: 16/07/2003
Written by: Michal Tabibian-Mizrahi

The purpose of this document is to present a comparative survey among designated television channels, that broadcast from a selection of parliaments in the world. The study focuses on five countries: Great Britain, France, the United States, Canada and Germany.

The Role of the Parliament in the Ratification of International Treaties and Agreements      

Date: 10/07/2003
Written by: Hodaya Kain, Dafna Ben-Porat

The document reviews the role of parliament in the approval of international treaties and agreements in Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, and the United States.

Quorums in Parliaments      

Date: 26/05/2003
Written by: Yehudit Galili, Avital Epel

The document contains a comparative examination of the requirement for a quorum - the presence of a minimal number of Members - as a condition for the carrying out of parliamentary activity. Among the countries examined, Israel and Sweden are the only two which do not define such a specific requirement.

Parliamentary Immunity: Members of Parliament Inviolability - Comparative View      

Date: 19/05/2003
Written by: Yehudit Galili, Dan Lahav

This document, which was prepared at the request of the Chairman of the House Committee as background information for parliamentary deliberations on the issue, presents the practices regarding parliamentary inviolability in several states in the world. In addition, the document presents a set of considerations that the legislature should take into account when it formulates legislation on this issue.

Report and Survey of the Development of the Social Gaps in Israel in the Last Twenty Years      

Date: 15/12/2002
Written by: Ella Heller

On July 25, 2001, the Knesset set up a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry on the Issue of the Socio-Economic Gaps in Israel. The committee concluded that there was a consistant trend of a widening of the income gap over the last 20 years along with gaps in disposable income, gaps in property and financial resources, gaps in salary, gaps in consumption, the digital divide, gaps in accesibility to social services, gaps in education, higher education and more. Israel is ranked second in the western world in regards to its socio-economic gaps.

Report of the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Water      

Date: 01/06/2002
Written by: Susan Hattis Rolef

The Parliamentary Inquiry Committee, which was established in order to investigate Israel’s water crisis, held its meetings from July 2001 until May 2002. The final report, without its many appendices, is presented here. It includes a general overview of Israel’s water economy and its current crisis, analyses of particular problems, conclusions and recommendations. The Committee found that the crisis was a result of the country exploiting its water resources beyond their ability to naturally replenish themselves and beyond the capability of “new” water sources to make up the difference. The reasons are, for the most part, administrative and relate to the decision making process in this area. The principal recommendations of the Committee deal with: formulating regulations for periods of emergency, interim steps that must be implemented by 2005, organizational reform of the water economy, revised legislation, “Mekorot”, conservation, a master plan and planning, increasing Israel’s water potential, preparing a reserve of professionals and engaging in research.