Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to write a full constitution, however, most Israelis consider the completion of such a docu-
ment to be unnecessary.
The fi rst Basic Law passed was the Knesset Law of 1958, which confi rmed existing arrange-
ments: Jerusalem was declared the country's capital and the place where the legislature would
meet. And the Knesset was asserted to consist of 120 elected members. Over the next thirty
years, eight more Basic Laws were passed. They dealt with various governmental institutions
and, again, mostly enshrined existing procedures. The Israel Lands Law (1960) ensures that
state lands remain national property. The Law on the President (1964) defi nes the president's
duties. The State Economy Law (1975) outlines a framework for the budget law and regulations
for other economic matters. The Military Law (1976) subordinates the military to the govern-
ment and provides for compulsory military service for citizens over age eighteen. The Capital
Law (1980) declares Jerusalem's status as the capital and deals with holy places. The Judiciary
Law (1984) provides regulations for courts. The State Comptroller Law (1988) addresses the
comptroller's fi scal and auditing duties. The Government Law (1978; amended in 1992 and
2001) concerns voting and the executive branch. This last law was amended to allow for the
prime minister's direct election then changed again to repeal that amendment.
In 1992 two additional Basic Laws were passed to protect human rights. The Basic Law on
Freedom of Occupation gives every resident of Israel the “right to engage in any occupation,
profession or trade” and has been used for the purposes of gender equality. The Basic Law on
Human Dignity, which says its purpose is “to defend Human Dignity and Liberty,” was passed
“in order to establish in a Basic Law the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic
state.” It does so by delineating several freedoms: the freedom from violations of life, liberty,
and property; the freedom to leave and enter the country; the freedom of privacy and the
freedom from a search of private property; and the freedom from violations of confi dentiality
in speech and writing. The law does not explicitly mention equality or free speech, but it —
together with the Basic Law on Freedom of Occupation —has been interpreted by the Supreme
Court as upholding these rights as derivations of “freedom of dignity.”
Functions and Powers of the Knesset
The Knesset is the supreme legislative authority in Israel, a unicameral parliament that drafts
and passes laws, levies taxes, investigates issues of public interest, and sets the budget. The
Knesset also has the responsibility for overseeing the government's work and the implemen-
tation of laws. Its committees and subcommittees focus on investigating specifi c issues and
preparing legislation.
One of the Knesset's main tasks is to supervise the government, and it does so in a number
of ways —by passing or not passing laws, defi ning the powers of the executive branch, deter-
mining whether the prime minister and the cabinet stay or fall, and controlling fi nances. The
Knesset also possesses the right to request information and status reports from the government.
In monitoring the government, the Knesset uses two highly respected institutions, the of-
fi ces of the state comptroller and the ombudsman, which report on problems, including cor-
ruption, and evaluate the performance of agencies. Elected by the Knesset for a seven-year
term, the state comptroller and the ombudsman audit all ministries, government institutions,
 
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