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Jun 23, 2020

Pindrus back in Knesset... for now

MK Yitzchak Pindrus was sworn in yesterday as Member of Knesset for United Torah Judaism, after the Norwegian law recently passed and Deputy minister Meir Porush resigned from the Knesset to make room for Pindrus.

Congratulations. Pindrus is a worthy parliamentarian who has earned his position through hard work and loyalty to the party, and he has always worked hard for his electorate.

That being said, considering his bad luck in the past in serving, after he finished his deputy mayorship in Jerusalem, it makes me wonder what is about to happen now that he got in to the Knesset. Pindrus is also a former MK, but last time he got in, the Knesset dissolved very shortly after and went to elections. Pindrus was sent to Elad to run for mayor and was disqualified form running, so he couldnt get any new position there and had already given up his position in Jerusalem. In beitar Pindrus was incumbent Mayor, but an agreement between the parties in Beitar meant he had to be replaced, even though he was well liked and incumbent. etc

Based on his past, getting in now might be a bad sign for the viability of this Knesset. Hopefully that won't happen. We need good people in Knesset.

Some further issue of concern for Pindrus is two legal issues that might send him packing. Actually 3.

The first would be if Minister Yaakov Litzman gets indicted in the investigation into his affairs of misuse of power and whatever other crimes he is being investigated for. If indicted, he would have to resign from his ministerial position, and would go back to Knesset, sending Pindrus packing. This is not an immediate concern, as we have no idea how long the investigation is going to be going on, but it is something that could affect his serving.

The second would be a new law proposal that might pass, though unlikely. Along with pindrus, a number of other new MKs were sworn in yesterday under the auspices of the Norwegian law. One of the new MKs, MK Yorai Lahav-Hertzano (Yesh Atid) was sworn in when Blue and White ministers and Deputy Ministers resigned from knesset. Even though he is from yesh Atid and is an Opposition MK, he giot in because the Blue and White party is made up of four parties including Yesh Atid. Even though they technically split with Kachol Lavan joining Netanyahu's coalition and Yesh Atid stayed in the Opposition, Lahav-Hertzano was next on the party list so when a minister resigned, he moved in to that Knesset seat. Strange, but that is how it works.

Perhaps stranger, Lahav-Hertzano, just sworn in yesterday, has already submitted a law proposal to revoke the Norwegian law. Lahav-Hertzano explains that this is a big waste of taxpayer money and with so many people struggling and with the economy at such a difficult point in time, now is not the time to be concerned about personal advancement and the wasteful Norwegian law should be abolished. Perhaps the most interesting part of this is that by his own law, should it pass, Lahav-Hertzano would be kicking himself out of Knesset as well. Falling on his own sword will endear himself greatly to the head of his party, Yair Lapid.

regardless, chances are slim, as this law proposal is coming from a weak Opposition, but it is out there, and who really knows what might happen once it is out there??!!

The third obstacle for Pindrus to be worried about is a petition to the Supreme Court. The petition filed with the Supreme Court demands that the Norwegian law be canceled and only go into effect in the next Knesset - the public coffers are not hefker.

The court has given the government until July 5th to respond to the petition.

The petition explains that the public coffers are not hefker, especially now with hundreds of thousands of Israelis unemployed because of Corona, this is not the appropriate time for such a law.

Of the three issues of concern, this seems like the most serious of them, and the most immediate.

The fourth is just the possibility of the Knesset dissolving because of the constant fighting between Netanyahu and Gantz or the bickering of others in the Coalition.



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