Former Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin surprised members of the opposition on Tuesday 8 Nissan 5773 when he appeared at an opposition meeting. The members of opposition were discussing their opposition to changing the minimum threshold to enter Knesset from 2% to 4%, explaining they fear it is contrary to the democratic values of the state.
Rivlin announced that he is not a member of the opposition, but his presence was clearly intended to send a message of anger and disapproval to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who just a few days ago told the former speaker that he would not receive the party’s support for an additional term. Likud MK Yuli Edelstein has since been elected to the post.
In a somewhat related matter, attorney Dan Landau, the director-general of the Knesset, who is viewed as Rivlin’s closest confidant, announced he too will be stepping down from his post.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
The nation is a soul, a spiritual principle. Two things… constitute this soul or spiritual principle.One is the possession in common of a rich legacy of memories; the other is present-day consent, the desire to live together, the will to perpetuate the value of the heritage that one has received.
– Ernest Renan, “What is a Nation?” 1882
Rivlin is close to the Charedi parties and technically is now in the opposition also. There is good and bad to raising the percent threshold….
The 2% threshold was a bad idea and 4% is worse. Not only that but the ability to make surplus vote agreements between the parties should be restored. Representation in the Knesset should be as finely tuned to the wishes of the voters as possible. If the leaders of large parties cannot deal with small independents perhaps they should not rule.
In any case the strategy seems to have failed. Feiglin was able to get a seat by means of the primaries, and Shai Piron was able to cut a deal with a charismatic figure.