PM Netanyahu's remarks at the first meeting of
Israel's 33rd Government
March 18, 2013
"This is the third time that I have had
the honor of opening a meeting of a new government. I must tell you that I am
moved. This is not self-evident. Nothing here is self-evident and we all bear
the great responsibility, the responsibility and the privilege.
Of all the three times that I have had this
privilege of leading the State of Israel, I cannot remember a more challenging
period vis-à-vis the accumulated risks on one hand and the opportunities on the
other, and of course, the expectations of Israel's citizens. I think that it is
within our power to meet all of these challenges, without exception.
Today, we are opening the Government table and
we are also cleaning it. We are putting aside disagreements and are working
together. There are excellent, qualified, experienced and invigorating people
here and the only way we can succeed is by cooperating. I am certain that we
will do so. Cooperation and unity. I very much encourage discussion around this
table.
I encourage people – as it will become clear to
the newcomers – to speak their minds. I think that by hearing all sides we
will, in the end, make correct and balanced decisions. The citizens of Israel
expect us to work together and achieve results. I would like to thank everyone
for their cooperation up to now, and from now on. I would like to wish Israeli
citizens a Happy Passover, and our Christian citizens a Happy Easter.
I am honored to open this meeting of the
Government."
Ministers and
Senior Officials of the 33rd Government of Israel:
18 Mar 2013
Government Ministers:
Benjamin Netanyahu - Prime Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Public Affairs and the Diaspora
Yitzhak Aharonovitch - Minister of Public Security
Uri Ariel - Minister of Housing and Construction
Naftali Bennett - Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor, Minister of Religious Services, Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs
Meir Cohen - Minister of Welfare and Social Affairs
Gilad Erdan - Minister of Communications and Home Front Protection
Yael German - Minister of Health
Yisrael Katz - Minister of of Transportation, National Infrastructures and Road Safety
Uzi Landau - Minister of Tourism
Sofa Landver - Minister of Immigration Absorption
Yair Lapid - Minister of Finance
Limor Livnat - Minister of Culture and Sport
Tzipi Livni - Minister of Justice
Uri Orbach - Minister for Senior Citizens
Amir Peretz - Minister of Environmental Protection
Yaakov Perry - Minister of Science and Technology
Shai Piron - Minister of Education
Gideon Sa'ar - Minister of the Interior
Silvan Shalom - Minister of Water and Energy, Minister for Regional Development and the Development of the Negev and the Galilee
Yair Shamir - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Yuval Steinitz - Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs responsible for International Relations
Moshe Ya'alon - Minister of Defense
Senior Government Officials:
Yuli Edelstein - Speaker of the Knesset
Asher Dan Grunis - President of the Supreme Court
Stanley Fischer - Governor of the Bank of Israel
Lt.-Gen. Benjamin Gantz - IDF Chief of General Staff
Yehuda Weinstein - Attorney General
Joseph H. Shapira - State Comptroller and Ombudsman
Rabbi Shlomo Amar - Sephardi Chief Rabbi
Rabbi Yona Metzger - Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
Following the signing of coalition agreements with Yesh Atid and Habayit
Hayehudi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Shimon Peres on
Saturday evening, March 16, to inform him that he has succeeded in the task of
forming a government. The new government is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday
at the Knesset.
PM Netanyahu: "As you know, I formed a government. We face a decisive year in
the fields of security and economy, in efforts to promote peace and in Israelis'
desire to effect change. There is cooperation in this government and I believe
we will bring change to all Israeli citizens in all areas. That is my mission."
President Peres: "The task of forming a government is complex and requires
great efforts and resourcefulness. There were difficulties in the creation of
this government and I congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu that succeeded in
forming the government in time. There are problems pending but they are also
full of opportunities in the fields of security, welfare and in making peace in
progressing the peace process. The country needs it and the people need it. The
time has come.
Good luck and my blessings to Prime Minister Netanyahu and the
new government.
President
Peres charges Benjamin Netanyahu with forming next government
President Shimon Peres, announced on Saturday, 2 February 2013, that Member of Knesset and current Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu, will be tasked with forming the next government.
Earlier
President Peres signed a letter to Benjamin Netanyahu in which he tasks him with
the responsibility of forming the government.
Likud Beiteinu – 31 (23.32%)
Yesh Atid – 19 (14.32%)
Labor – 15 (11.39%)
Habayit Hayehudi – 12 (9.12%)
Shas – 11 (8.75%)
United Torah Judaism –
7 (5.17%)
Hatnuah – 6 (4.99%)
Meretz – 6 (4.54%)
United Arab List – Ta'al
– 4 (3.65%)
Hadash – 4 (2.99%)
Balad – 3 (2.56%)
Kadima - 2 (2.10%)
January 23: The Central Election Committee has released the final results of the elections, and the allocation of seats in
the 19th Knesset
According to the Central Election Committee, 66.6% of Israelis exercised
their right to vote. Out of some 3.767 million votes cast, only about 40,000
were disqualified. Voter turnout was the highest since 1999.
The upcoming national elections in Israel will be held on Tuesday, 22 January 2013.
Israel's elections reflect the strong democratic tradition of the State of
Israel. Election campaigns are a lively affair, accompanied by vigorous debate
of the issues. Israelis take great interest in political affairs, including
internal policy and foreign relations, and actively participate in the electoral
process.
Israel is a parliamentary system. The Prime Minister, who heads Israel's government, is chosen after
the elections from a member of the newly-elected Knesset, Israel's parliament.
National elections to the Knesset are held once every four years, unless
circumstances call for early elections.
The framework of the Israeli electoral system is defined in Article 4 of the Basic Law: the Knesset which states: "The Knesset shall be elected by general,
national, direct, equal, secret and proportional elections, in accordance with
the Knesset Elections Law.
Read more
Learn more about elections in Israel (PDF)
FAQ - Elections
In Israel:
Frequently
Asked Questions about the January 2013 Elections
1. What are the
elections about?
2. What are
Israeli elections like?
3. What are the
basic principles of Israel's election process?
4. Who can vote?
5. Can
soldiers, the disabled, the infirmed and prison inmates vote?
6. Are absentee
ballots permitted?
7. How does
voting take place?
8. How are
voters identified?
9. What happens
on election day?
10. When are elections
held?
11. Who is eligible
for elected office?
12. Do Israelis
vote for parties or individual candidates?
13. What is the
Central Elections Committee?
14. What do
polling committees do?
15. What must
parties do before the elections?
16. How are
campaigns financed?
17. How do
campaign ads meet the principle of equal opportunity?
18. How is the
Knesset formed?
19. How is the
Prime Minister chosen?
20. How is the
government formed?
1. What are the elections about?
The upcoming national elections in Israel will
be held on Tuesday, 22 January 2013. These elections will determine the
composition of the 19th Knesset and of the government to be
established based on these results.
Israel is a parliamentary democracy. The Prime
Minister, who heads Israel’s government, is chosen from among the members of
the newly-elected Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
2.
What are Israeli elections like?
Israel's elections reflect the strong
democratic tradition of the State of Israel. Election campaigns are a lively
affair, accompanied by vigorous debate of the issues. Israelis take great
interest in political affairs, including internal policy and foreign relations,
and actively participate in the electoral process.
3. What
are the basic principles of Israel's election process?
The framework of the Israeli electoral system
is defined in Article 4 of the "Basic Law: The Knesset," which
states: "The Knesset shall be elected by general, national, direct, equal,
secret and proportional elections, in accordance with the Knesset Elections
Law."
·
General: Every Israeli citizen aged 18 or older on
election day has the right to vote.
·
National: The entire country constitutes a single
electoral constituency. In Israel's proportional representation system,
candidates represent national parties and not electoral districts or local constituencies.
·
Direct: The Knesset, the Israeli parliament, is
elected directly by the voters, not through a body of electors. On election
day, voters cast one ballot for a single political party to represent them in
the Knesset.
·
Equal: All votes cast are equal in weight.
·
Secret: Elections are by secret ballot.
·
Proportional: The 120 Knesset seats are assigned in
proportion to each party's percentage of the total national vote. However, the
minimum required threshold for a party to be represented in the Knesset is 2%
of the total votes cast.
4. Who
can vote?
Voting is a right granted to every Israeli
citizen who has reached the age of 18 or older on election day.
Israelis of all ethnic groups and religious
beliefs, including Arab-Israelis, actively participate in the process.
Every eligible Israeli citizen is automatically
registered.
5.
Can soldiers, the disabled, the infirmed and prison inmates vote?
Soldiers on active duty vote in polling
stations in their units. Particular arrangements are made for prison inmates to
vote, as well as for those confined to hospitals. Disabled persons who are
ambulatory can vote in one of the 1,549 special voting stations designed for
accessibility.
6.
Are absentee ballots permitted?
Israeli law does not provide for absentee
ballots and in general, voting takes place only on Israeli soil. Exceptions are
made for Israeli citizens serving abroad on official business who can vote in
96 Israeli embassies and consulates or on Israeli ships.
7.
How does voting take place?
The Israeli voting method is user-friendly,
even to voters who have limited knowledge of Hebrew and Arabic. Inside the
voting booth, voters select a slip of paper that represents their chosen party
from an assortment in a tray, put the slip in an envelope and then place the
envelope in the ballot box.
Registered voters vote at one of the more than
10,000 polling stations.
8.
How are voters identified?
Voters must be identified by one of the
following identification cards:
·
An official I.D. card (teudat ze’hut) with a
picture (issued free to all Israelis from the age of 16);
·
A valid Israeli passport with a picture;
·
A valid driver’s license with a picture;
·
A Knesset member I.D. card.
The Interior Minister may approve identification
without a photo I.D. in rare cases, such as Muslim women who wear a veil.
9.
What happens on election day?
Election day is a holiday in order to enable
all potential voters to participate. Free public transportation is available to
voters who happen to be outside their polling districts on this day.
In the upcoming elections, polls will open at
07:00 in the morning of Tuesday, 22 January 2013 and close at 22:00 (10pm). In
smaller communities, hospitals and prisons voting takes place between 08:00 and
20:00 (8pm). If all the registered voters have voted at a particular station,
that polling station may close early.
Voting may take place earlier in special cases.
Polling is held twelve days before election day in Israeli diplomatic mission
and ships, while the votes of soldiers may be collected up to 72 hours before
election day.
10. When
are elections held?
Elections to the Knesset are held every four
years, unless one of the following situations occurs:
·
The Knesset passes a bill to disperse the
Knesset;
·
The Knesset has not approved the budget within
three months of the start of the financial year;
·
The Prime Minister asks the Knesset to
disperse;
·
A no-confidence vote has passed and a new
government has not formed.
The Knesset can also decide, by a special
majority of 80 votes, to prolong its term beyond four years if there are
special circumstances. This happened once, in 1973, when the elections to the
Eighth Knesset were delayed by two months because of the Yom Kippur War.
Like the Knesset, the government is elected for
four years. Its tenure may be shortened if the Prime Minister is unable to
continue in office due to death, resignation, permanent incapacitation,
impeachment or if the Prime Minister ceases to function as a member of the
Knesset. However, the government may appoint one of its other members who is a
Knesset member as acting Prime Minister.
11. Who
is eligible for elected office?
Every citizen aged 21 or older is eligible for
election to the Knesset, unless they are excluded by one of the exceptions
under the law.
Examples of exceptions include:
·
An individual who holds a senior official
position: the President, a Chief Rabbi, the State Comptroller, judges and
senior public officials, as well as the chief-of-staff and high-ranking
military officers may not stand for election to the Knesset unless they have
resigned their position before the elections in the period specified by law;
·
Cases where a court has specifically restricted
this right by virtue of a law;
According to the "Basic Law: The
Knesset," the Central Elections Committee may prevent a candidates' list
from participating in elections if its objectives or actions, expressly or by
implication, include one of the following:
·
Negation of the existence of the State of
Israel as the state of the Jewish people;
·
Negation of the democratic character of Israel;
·
Incitement to racism.
This decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court, which has
reversed decisions by the Central Elections Committee.
12.
Do Israelis vote for parties or individual candidates?
Knesset elections are based on a vote for a
party rather than for individuals and the 34 parties that will compete for
election to the 19th Knesset reflect a wide range of outlooks and
beliefs.
The number and order of members entering the
new Knesset for each party corresponds to its list of candidates as presented
for election. For example, if a party receives 10 mandates, the first ten
candidates on its list enter the new Knesset.
13.
What is the Central Elections Committee?
The Central Elections Committee is responsible
for conducting and supervising the elections. It is headed by a Justice of the
Supreme Court, currently Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, and includes
representatives of the parties holding seats in the outgoing Knesset.
14.
What do polling committees do?
Regional election committees oversee the
functioning of local polling committees, which include representatives of at
least three parties in the outgoing Knesset. Anyone aged 16 or older is
eligible to serve on a polling committee.
15. What
must parties do before the elections?
Prior to the elections, each party submits its
list of candidates for the Knesset (in order of precedence).
The parties select their candidates for the
Knesset in primaries or by other procedures.
Only registered parties or an alignment of two
or more registered parties can present a list of candidates and participate in
the elections.
16. How
are campaigns financed?
a.
The State of Israel covers most of the parties'
budgets and only a small fraction of party financing originates from sources
other than the state budget.
According to the Party Financing Law, a
treasury allocation for election campaigns is granted to the factions. Each
faction receives an allocation at the rate of one pre-defined "financing
unit" per seat won in the previous Knesset elections plus retroactively
one unit per mandate won in the new Knesset, divided by two, plus one
additional financing unit. The current rate of a financing unit is 1.34 million
shekels (approximately USD 350,000). New factions receive a similar allocation,
retroactively, based on the number of seats won in the elections.
In the last elections (24 February 2009) the
treasury paid out 160 million shekels (approximately USD 38 million) in party
financing.
b.
The law concerning non-public financing, such
as membership dues and contributions, is extremely strict and limiting
No faction may receive a contribution, directly
or indirectly, from any person or his dependents in excess of the sum
established by law and linked to the Consumer Price Index. An individual
household may contribute up to 2,300 shekels (approximately USD 600) in an
election year, and 1,000 shekels per year without elections.
A faction or list of candidates may not receive
a financial contribution from someone who is not eligible to vote in the
elections, such as foreign nationals who do not also hold Israeli citizenship.
Corporations are not allowed to make donations
to parties.
17. How
do campaign ads meet the principle of equal opportunity?
Election broadcasts begin on television 21 days
before the elections. All election advertising is broadcast free of charge on
television and radio, although the parties are responsible for preparing the
advertisements at their own expense. Under the principle of equal opportunity,
it is prohibited to purchase broadcasting time.
The Election Law contains strict rules
regarding the timing, length and content of television and radio election
broadcasts. Parties participating in the elections receive broadcasting minutes
according to a formula set in law. Each is given a basic and equal allocation
of minutes for broadcasts on television and radio. Factions which have candidates
who served in the outgoing Knesset are allocated an additional amount of time
based on their number of former Members of Knesset (MKs).
For example, each party receives 7 basic
minutes of advertising on television and an additional 2 minute per former MK.
On radio, each party list receives 15 basic minutes and 4 additional ones per
outgoing MK. Parties are also limited in the amount of inches of election
advertising they can print in newspapers.
Other restrictions on advertising include:
·
No use of children under the age of 15;
·
No use of the IDF that creates the impression
that the army identifies with a particular party;
·
No use of the names or images of victims of
terrorism without their permission or that of their surviving family.
18. How
is the Knesset formed?
Knesset seats are assigned in proportion to
each party's percentage of the total national vote.
A party's surplus votes, which are insufficient
for an additional seat, can be transferred to another party according to
agreements made between them prior to the election. If no agreement exists, the
surplus votes are distributed according to the parties' proportional sizes in
the elections.
19. How
is the Prime Minister chosen?
The Prime Minister is selected from among the
Knesset members. The President of the State assigns the task to the Knesset
member considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition
government in light of the Knesset election results.
The direct election of the Prime Minister, was
instituted in Israel in 1996. After two election rounds (1996 and 1999), the
law was rescinded (2001).
20. How
is the government formed?
a.
The government (cabinet of ministers) is the
executive authority of the state, charged with administering internal and
foreign affairs, including security matters.
b.
When a new government is to be formed, the
President of the State - after consulting with representatives of the parties
elected to the Knesset - assigns the task of forming the government to a
Knesset member. This Knesset member is usually the leader of the party with the
largest Knesset representation or the head of the party that leads a coalition of
more than 60 members.
c.
Since a government requires the Knesset's
confidence to function, it must have a supporting coalition of at least 61 of
the 120 Knesset members.
To date, no single party has received enough
Knesset seats to be able to form a government by itself; thus all Israeli
governments have been based on coalitions of several parties. Those remaining
outside the government compose the opposition.
d.
The Knesset member to whom the task is assigned
has a period of 28 days to form a government. The President may extend the term
by an additional period of time, not exceeding 14 days.
If this period (up to 42 days) has passed and
the designated Knesset member has not succeeded in forming a government, the
President may then assign the task of forming a government to another Knesset
member. This Knesset member has a period of 28 days for the fulfillment of the
task. There are no further extensions.
If a government still has not been formed, an
absolute majority of Knesset members (61) has the option of applying in writing
to the President, asking him to assign the task to a particular Knesset member.
Such a precedent has yet to occur.
e.
When a government has been formed, the
designated Prime Minister presents it to the Knesset within 45 days of
publication of election results in the official gazette. At this time, he
announces its composition, the basic guidelines of its policy and the
distribution of functions among its ministers.
The Prime Minister then asks the Knesset for an
expression of confidence. The government is installed when the Knesset has
expressed confidence in it by a majority of 61 Knesset members. Then the new ministers
assume their offices.