THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM IN ISRAEL

The structure

The State of Israel is a parliamentary democracy. It is headed by the president, who plays a symbolic and representative role.

The state is run by three authorities:

• The legislative authority – the Knesset

• The executive authority – the government

• The judiciary authority – the supreme court

The Legislative AuthorityThe Knesset - numbers 120 members who are elected in general elections every four years. The Knesset enacts laws, adopts political decisions, elects the president and cabinet, and supervises the government's activities.

The Executive AuthorityThe Government - responsible for the country's proper management and carrying out the laws enacted by the Knesset.

The prime minister is a member of the Knesset whom the president appoints to form a government, which has the Knesset's confidence.

no single party has had an absolutemajority, all of the Israeli governments have been based on coalitions.

Judiciary AuthorityThe Supreme Court - administers the observance of the law. The High Court stands at the head of the judiciary authority. It deals with appeals of verdicts passed by lower courts, and as the supreme court hears appeals of private citizens against the state authorities.

The election system• Elections take place every four years.

1. Counting all the valid votes.

2. All parties over 2% of votes participate in dividing the mandates.

3. All votes/120 = General Divider

4. Each parties votes/ GD = number of mandates

From votes to Mandates

150 K votes valid 120 Parliament seat

General Divider 1250

If a party received 3750 votes3750/GD = 3

There for it will receive 3 Parliament seats, 3 people from the party will be Parliament members.

170K votes counted

Surplus agreementsSurplus treaty is an agreement between two lists in the elections, stating that the sum of their votes will be considered together in determining the number of seats assigned to them.After determining the number of joint mandates, including mandates are distributed according to relative size.

ExampleVotes needed Per Mandate: 10

J.B.=16J.R.=14

J.B + J.R.= 30

The president

Consults

appoint

Prime Minster N

egotiates to assemble C

oalition

Process of forming the government:

Elected parties

Elected parties

GOVERNMENT

Coalition agreem

ent

Parties areElected

After we talked about Israel democracy,lets see what happened since 1995 until today…

What defines a strong democracy?

• Separation of powers

• Checks and Balances

• Pluralism of parties

• Constitution

Government

Parliament Judiciary authority

Ministers are also parliament members

Promote human rights lows

May remove immunity of Knesset Member in a judicial proceeding

Minister of Justice is the Head of the Judicial Appointments Commission

Lack of Checks and Balances • The Government Bills initiative to promote and implement

its policy goals.

• The government enjoys a majority in the Knesset and the government part of the legislature, and therefore its ability to pass legislation or to prevent it.

• The government has broad authority in the secondary legislation - regulations, laws, decrees and emergency legislation.

• The judicial authority: the judiciary is engaged in legislation called - judicial legislation, issues for which there is no explicit law, such as human and civil rights, freedom of speech, etc..

• However, the Knesset also has jurisdiction: the Knesset may pass the president from office if hisbehavior was inappropriate.

• The Knesset may also remove immunity of Knesset Member in a judicial proceeding.

The parties

Constitution

• Since Israel established no constitution created.

• Constitution in Israel can make a big contribute to the political stability by making sure that governments will finish on term of four years.

Why Israel doesn't have Constitution

• The religious parties were opposed to the legislation of a constitution because it allows freedom of religion in Israel.

• because Israel's Early days followed by existential security and threat on the State, no constitution created in order not to limit the government.