'Gifts Law' temporarily withdrawn after threat of 'massive opposition'

The coalition retracted its intention to pass on Sunday the first reading of the "Gifts Law," which enables donations to politicians and public workers in order to cover legal and medical fees after opposition leaders threatened on Wednesday in a joint statement that it will face "massive opposition"  

The coalition initially announced on Wednesday that the Knesset Home Committee would approve the bill for its first reading on Thursday, indicating that it will likely hold a first-reading vote during Sunday's plenum. Sunday is the Knesset's last day of operation before heading to a Passover recess until April 30.

"Despite the end of the [Knesset] winter session and despite it being the week of a holiday, the Likud decided to convene the plenum specifically for a corrupt and despicable law, with a scent of personal interest," the opposition leaders accused in the statement.

"As if it is not enough that the plenum does not convene during the week of Passover eve asides for exceptional circumstances, the MKs are supposed to vote on a bill that may corrupt the entire public sector."

Forced attendance at the Knesset plenum

The opposition announced that all of its MKs would attend the Knesset plenum on Sunday, forcing nearly all of the coalition MKs to attend as well in order to have a majority. The opposition also warned that a bill intended to give the Israel Police tools in order to prevent casualties at this year's Lag Ba'omer festivities in Meron, which is also scheduled to teach the plenum on Sunday, will face "hundreds" of reservations and a filibuster through the night until Monday, instead of being passed with the agreement of both sides "for the good of Israel's citizens."

"We stress that we will not give in and the corrupt Gifts Law will face massive opposition from all of the opposition's parties. We propose that the coalition reconsider the issue and not put forward the Gifts Law," the opposition leaders concluded.

Soon after the statement was published, the coalition announced that it would not bring the bill to the plenum on Sunday.

"The coalition needs to remove the corrupt Gifts Law not just from the agenda of this Knesset session; the law cannot be put to vote in Israel's Knesset," opposition leader MK Yair Lapid wrote on Twitter. "It is time that they begin to think about the citizens of Israel, [they care] not [about] the high cost of living, not personal safety, only their personal benefit," Lapid wrote.

הקואליציה צריכה להוריד את חוק המתנות המושחת לא רק מסדר היום של המושב הזה, החוק הזה לא יכול לעלות להצבעה בכנסת ישראל. הגיע הזמן שיתחילו לחשוב על אזרחי ישראל. לא יוקר מחייה, לא ביטחון אישי, רק טובתם האישית. https://t.co/fbdXnHLPlc

— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) March 29, 2023

National Unity faction coordinator MK Ze'ev Elkin wrote that he was happy that the "delusional" bill was removed thanks to the opposition's threat.

"We will continue fighting together, all of the opposition parties, with all the parliamentary tools at our disposal, against the outrageous and corrupt legislation," Elkin said.

The bill would free the approximately NIS 4 million that was raised via crowdfunding for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legal fees. It also allows for contributions to legal and medical procedures of public officials' spouses and family members.

Opening doors to corruption 

A representative of the attorney-general said during a debate on Sunday that the bill opened the door to corruption in the entire public service.

The representative, head of the justice ministry's Legal Counsel and Legislative Affairs Division, said that the bill would create a mechanism that can be "taken advantage of in order to cover up corruption crimes."

"A public worker already can accept gifts from friends and family, including funding for medical and legal fees, as long as they are not given to him due to his role as a public worker. The speed at which this law is advancing raises the concern that it is intended to benefit the prime minister personally. If the bill is accepted, we will find ourselves in a jungle of government corruption," he said.