Setting the weekly agenda (amendment No.5)

31.

The Speaker shall determine the weekly agenda for the sittings of the Knesset¹ as provided in articles 32 and 33 below, and in the provisions of the Rules of Procedure concerning the debate procedures on various issues, and their order of priority, and shall inform the Knesset Members thereof, not later than Friday of the preceding week.²

Convening of urgent sitting (amendment Nos. 62 & 68)

31a.

In the event of his perceiving that an event of extraordinary importance has occurred, the Speaker is entitled, in consultation with the Chairman of the House Committee, to convene the Knesset for an urgent sitting, which diverges from the weekly agenda, on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, at any hour, for a debate on the said event, and he shall determine the framework of the debate at this sitting.

Manner of determining the agenda (amendments

Nos. 5 & 23)

32.

(a)

The agenda for Knesset sittings, for two of the three weekly sitting days, including changes and additions, shall be determined by the Speaker, on the basis of Government proposals.

(b)

One sitting each week, on its last sitting day, shall be set aside for the debate of motions for the agenda, or private Members' bills; However, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers are entitled to set another time for this debate, in the same week or in the following week, and the Members shall be informed accordingly.

(c)

The provision in paragraph (b) shall not apply to a week in which the Knesset debates the State budget.

(d)

At two sittings every week, answers to questions shall be given; The sittings and times at which answers are to be given, shall be determined by the Speaker and Deputy Speakers; A notice to the effect that answers to questions shall be given, shall be made before the opening of the sitting.

(e)

Should an extra sitting be set by the Speaker under article 27(b), he shall determine its agenda.

Rights of precedence in the agenda

33.

(a)

At every sitting, precedence shall granted to a Government statement, to Members' motions for the agenda, whose urgency has been approved under articles 83-85, to issues that the Knesset has decided to include on its agenda on the basis of Members' urgent motions for the agenda, as well as to matters that the law, or the Rules of Procedure, require that they be debated, or voted upon in the Knesset.

(b)

Should a motion of no-confidence in the Government be submitted under article 36 (a), and the Government asks to make an urgent statement of special importance at the time set for debate of the motion, the statement shall be made with the approval of the Speaker, before the debate on the motion, provided no debate is held on the statement immediately after its submission.

(c)

Second and third readings of bills tabled in the Knesset, shall be held under the provisions of articles 125 and 129.

(d)

Issues that the Knesset has resolved to include on its agenda in pursuance of ordinary motions for the agenda, and matters brought to the Knesset plenum from the Committees in pursuance of article 111(b) - shall be debated at a time set by the Speaker, within three months from the day on which the resolution was adopted.

One minute speeches³ (amendment No. 59)

33a.

(a)

The first thirty minutes of the Knesset sitting on Mondays and Tuesdays, that are not opened with a debate or a vote on a motion of no-confidence, shall be devoted to speeches from the seats of Members of the Knesset; The length of each speech shall not surpass one minute; Should the Member fail to end his speech within one minute - the microphone he is using to speak shall be switched off.

(b)

A speech, as stated, shall deal with a subject chosen by the Knesset Member, as long as it does not contain:

(1)

A judgement, or an insulting term or expression;

(2)

An offence to the Knesset’s dignity.

(c)

The Chairman of the sitting shall determine the order of the speakers; A Member of the Knesset who wishes to speak, shall raise his hand from his seat in the plenary chamber, and can speak only once.

(d)

Upon completion of the speeches, the Government is entitled to respond, by means of one or two of its representatives, within a time limit of no more than five minutes for every representative.

(e)

Canceled

Government motions and Members' motions (amendment No. 5)

33b.

(a)

At a sitting designated for the debate of Members' motions for the agenda, should there be no motions approved under article 78, or should time remains after the debate of the motions before it, the Knesset shall proceed with the agenda as set according to article 32(a).

(b)

At a sitting designated for the debate of Government motions, should there be no matters before the Knesset as proposed by the Government, the Knesset shall proceed to debate Members' motions for the agenda approved under article 78, or Members' bills under the provisions of article 135.

Opening of Knesset Session (amendment No. 81)

34a.

(a)

In these Rules of Procedure –
“Winter Assembly” – a Knesset session that opens after the holiday of Succot, as stated in article 9(a) of the Knesset Law;
“Summer Assembly” – a Knesset session that opens after Independence Day, as stated in article 9(a) of the Knesset Law;
“Knesset Session” – a Winter Assembly and following Summer Assembly, and in an elections year – as determined by the House Committee

(b)

The President of the State is entitled to open the first Knesset sitting in every Knesset Session.

(c)

Should the President of the State open the Knesset sitting as stated in clause (b), immediately after him the Prime Minister shall deliver a statement on the activity of the Government in the period that elapsed since the previous session, and the Government's plans for the approaching session; Should the President of the State not open the Knesset sitting as stated in clause (b), the Prime Minister shall open the sitting with a statement as stated; A parliamentary group debate shall be held on the statement.

(d)

Subject to the provisions of clause (b), should the Knesset debate a motion to express no-confidence in the Government on the day on which the Prime Minister’s statement is delivered, as stated in this article, the Prime Minister’s statement shall be delivered, after the motion to express no-confidence in the Government is explained, and a combined parliamentary group debate shall be held on the two issues.

Government statements (amendment No. 5)

35.

The Government is entitled, at any time, to make a statement or announcement in the Knesset, and upon the request of thirty Members of the Knesset, a debate shall be held on it after 24 hours have elapsed from the time of the submission of the request to the Speaker. However, the Government may ask that a debate on the basis of such a request be deferred for a further 48 hours.

Motion of no-confidence (amendments Nos. 33, 47, 48 & 80)

36.⁴

(a)

A parliamentary group or parliamentary groups, the number of whose members is ten or more, are entitled to propose an expression of no-confidence in the Government; A parliamentary group numbering less than ten members may submit three motions to express no-confidence in the Government in every parliamentary year, as stated in clause (b).⁵

(b)

A motion to express no-confidence in the Government may be by way of proposing an item for the agenda or as a motion at the end of the debate,⁶ on any item on the agenda.⁷
For this matter -
“End of the debate” – after the reply has ended and before the voting, and if the debate is on a bill in Second Reading and Third Reading – at the end of the Second Reading and before the Third Reading”
“Item on the agenda” – an item with regards to which the Government has expressed a position, except for a bill in Preliminary Reading, and a motion for the agenda.

(c)

In a motion to express no-confidence in the Government by means of a motion for the agenda, the cause for the motion shall be mentioned.

(d)

To the motion to express no-confidence in the Government shall be attached the written consent of the Knesset Member, as stated in article 28 of Basic Law: the Government.

(e)

(1)

A motion to express no-confidence that has been submitted by means of a motion for the agenda until the closing of the sitting on the last day of the week in which the sitting of the Knesset takes place, shall be debated in the first ordinary sitting of the Knesset in the week after the submission of the motion, and shall defer, subject to what is said in article 34a(c), a debate on any other item; A motion that has been submitted after the said time, shall be considered to have been submitted the following week.

(2)

A vote on a motion of no-confidence that was submitted at the end of the debate on an item on the agenda, shall take place in the first Knesset sitting in the following week, as stated in paragraph (1), but should the Government so request – the vote on the motion of no-confidence shall take place on the day on which it was submitted, immediately after the debate on that item.

(f)

The deferral of a vote due to a motion to express no-confidence in the Government on an item on the agenda, shall take place once only with regards to that item. However, should a number of motions to express no-confidence in the Government, as stated, be made, and should it be proposed in them that the formation of the Government shall be assigned to different Members of Knesset, a vote shall take place on the motion of the largest parliamentary group, and among parliamentary groups equal in size, on the motion of the parliamentary group that received the largest number of votes in the elections.

(g)

On a motion to express no-confidence in the Government at the end of a debate on an item on the agenda, only one vote shall take place, and it shall be both on the item on the agenda, and on the issue of the expression of no-confidence. However should several motions to express no-confidence have been brought, as stated, and they included a proposal that the formation of the Government be assigned to various Members of the Knesset, the vote shall take place on the proposal of the largest parliamentary group, and among parliamentary groups that are of equal size – on the proposal of the parliamentary group that received the largest number of votes in the elections.

(h)

(1)

Should there be a motion to express no-confidence, at the end of the debate on the item to which the Government has announced that it objects, on a matter for which the support of a majority of the Knesset Members is not required, and should the motion receive the support of a majority of the participants in the vote, but not of a majority of the Knesset Members, the motion on the matter of that item shall be adopted, and the motion of no-confidence shall be rejected.

(2)

Should there be a motion to express no-confidence, at the end of the debate, as stated in clause (1), and should the motion receive the support of a majority of the Knesset Members, both the motion being debated, and the motion of no-confidence shall be adopted.

(3)

Should there be a motion to express no-confidence at the end of the debate on an item on the agenda, that was brought by the Government, or on another matter, which the Government announced that it supports, the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall apply, with the necessary adaptations.

(i)

Should several parliamentary groups submit motions of no-confidence in the Government, the explanations of their motions shall take place in order of their size, and not according to the order in which the motions were submitted, and should several parliamentary groups submit a single motion, they shall be consider one parliamentary group for this purpose.

(j)

The quota of time for explaining a motion to express no-confidence in the Government – 10 minutes; a parliamentary group, a member on whose behalf explained the motion, shall not participate in the parliamentary group debate, unless the parliamentary group debate is combined with another motion to express no-confidence in the Government, or on another subject.

Expression of no-confidence (amendment No. 48 & 80)

36a.

(a)

The Prime Minister is entitled to inform the Speaker, that he shall consider a vote of the Knesset on an item on the agenda, as a matter for the expression of confidence in him.⁹ On this matter “an item on the agenda” – except for a bill in preliminary reading, and a motion for the agenda.

(b)

Should the Prime Minister inform (the Speaker) as aforesaid, the provisions of article 36(g) and (h) shall apply, with the necessary adaptations.

Agenda at special session (amendment No. 64)

37.

(a)

Twenty five Members of Knesset, who request that a special session of the Knesset be convened, are entitled to specify one or two topics for the agenda of that session.¹⁰

(b)

Should one topic be specified in the request, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers shall place it on the agenda of the special session as an urgent motion for the agenda; Should two matters be specified in the request, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers shall place both topics on the agenda of the special session as urgent motions for the agenda, in the order indicated by the request, and if there is no such indication - in the order in which they appear in the request.¹¹

¹ Since the setting of the Knesset agenda is under the authority of the Speaker, and since the Speaker has acted in a manner

consistent with the Rules of Procedure while setting the agenda - the House Committee resolves that it is not under its authority to change anything in the agenda as set by the Speaker. (HCR - 30.10.1972)

² A Member of the Knesset petitioned the High Court of Justice to annul a law that was passed, arguing that he had been denied the

possibility of explaining his reservations to the law, since that bill had not been included in the weekly agenda, as stated in article 31, and an announcement of the debate on it was made only on the day of the debate itself, while the petitioning Member had already left the Knesset. The petition itself was not deliberated, and was rejected since it is the duty of a Member to be present in the Knesset and ready for any debate until the end of the sitting. (HCJ - 59/76, MK Ronen v. the Prime Minister and others, was not published).

³ This article was in force for half a year from the day of its adoption (adopted on 3.1.2000)

⁴ (a) A single Knesset Member is not entitled to propose the expression of no-confidence in the Government. (HCR - 20.3.1967)

(b) Should several parliamentary groups submit a motion of no-confidence in the Government, the explanation of their motions shall be by order of their (the groups’) size, and not according to the order of the submission of the motions. (HCR - 16.1.1972)

(c) On 26.6.1995 MK Rehavam Ze'evi asked to turn a motion of no-confidence submitted by his parliamentary group, to a motion for the agenda; The Government did not object, as long as the Knesset would agree to it. The Chairman of the sitting put the motion to the vote, and the Knesset voted unanimously in favour of the motion of no-confidence being turned into a motion for the agenda.

⁵ (a) The time limit for explaining the motion - 10 minutes. The parliamentary group is entitled to add the time at the disposal of a

speaker on its behalf, to the time of the Knesset Member raising the motion of no-confidence. (HCR - 18.2.1990)

(b) The number of three motions relates both to motions by way of a proposed item to the agenda, and to motions presented at the end of a debate on an item on the agenda. (HCR - 1.5.2000)

⁶ (1) “The end of the debate” on an item on the agenda, is after the Chairman of the Committee or the Minister has ended his answer,

and before the voting. (ICR - 13.3.1996)

(2) When an item on the agenda is a bill in second and third reading, the end of the debate is at the end of the voting on the second reading, and before the voting on the third reading; The deferral of a vote on an item on the agenda, due to its becoming a vote of no-confidence, can take place once only. (ICR - 3.11.1998)

⁷ (a) A bill in preliminary debate and a motion for the agenda are not “an item on the agenda”; therefore, it is not possible to propose, at the end of the debate on them, the expression of no-confidence in the Prime Minister, and the prime Minister cannot inform the Knesset that he considers the voting on such a motion a matter of the expression of confidence or no-confidence. (HCR - 23.7.1997)

it in article 148 of the Rules of Procedure. (HCJ 148/73, Prof. Shmuel Kaniel v. the Minister of Justice and others, Verdicts, Vol. 27 (1) pp. 794, 797.

(b) The House Committee adopted special resolutions at various times: (1) The holding of a vote on a motion of no-confidence on the same day, both on ordinary Knesset days and in a special session during the recess. (HCRs - 29.12.1970; 5.9.1972; 1.1.1973; 2.1.1973; 28.3.1973; 10.4.1973), (HCR - 14.7.1980)

⁹ A bill in preliminary debate, and a motion for the agenda, are not “an item on the agenda”. (HCR - 21.7.1997)

¹⁰ (1) The power to request the convening of the Knesset outside the regular sessions, is vested in twenty five Members of the

Knesset.

(2) Those twenty five Members are entitled to specify in their request one topic or two topics for the agenda of the special session.

(3) Once twenty five Members have requested a special session, they cannot once again request the convening of the Knesset, and in consequence cannot raise additional topics for that special sessions (but after the holding of this session, they are entitled to submit a new request for an additional special session).

(4) There is nothing in what has been said to prevent twenty five other Members from requesting a special session, and specify in their request one or two topics that they wish to raise. (HCR - 16.5.1995; The original resolution speaks of “thirty Members of the Knesset” in accordance with the legal situation at the time that it was taken).

¹¹ (a) When a special sitting of the Knesset is held during the recess, which convenes at the request of twenty five Members of the

Knesset, one cannot debate a topic or topics, the raising of which is not supported by at least twenty five Members. (HCR - 27.10.1964)

(b) The House Committee decided, as a temporary order, that when twenty five Members of the Knesset request to convene the Knesset under article 33 of Basic Law: the Knesset, only one of them shall explain the motion for the agenda, even if they belong to several parliamentary groups, in accordance with article 88(a); Should two topics be specified in the request, each topic shall be explained by one of the twenty five. (The original resolution speaks of “thirty Members of the Knesset” in accordance with the legal situation at the time that it was taken).

(c) In a special session one debate can be held on several motions, but the voting will take place on each one separately. (HCR - 9.12.1973; The original resolution speaks of “thirty Members of the Knesset” in accordance with the legal situation at the time that it was taken).