Barkat is independently wealthy, and he entered politics, originally as Mayor of Jerusalem and then in the Knesset arena, after having accumulated his wealth in a successful career in hi tech and investing. Most MKs and Ministers are not in that situation.
When Barkat served as Mayor of Jerusalem he refused to take a salary. When Barkat moved into the Knesset he wanted to do the same, but the Knesset rules do not allow that. While he technically could have taken hsi salary and then donated it all to charity or to a government program, he didn't want that - he wanted to not receive a salary at all. Barkat has, in the meantime, refused to give the Knesset payroll department his bank information, so they just can't pay him his salary due to a technicality, but Barkat wants ti to be an official option for an MK to refuse a salary.
So, MK Nir Barkat proposed a law that would allow any MK that so desires to forgo his or her salary entirely. Not get it at all. The MK or MInister would also be able to give up other benefits such as the budgets allocated to each MK and Minister for keeping in touch with the electorate. The MK who so desires would be able to decide that his or her salary should instead be passed on to a government program of their choosing from which the public would benefit.
The committee rejected Barkat's bill. Dudi Amsalem, Ministerial Liaison to the Knesset, rejected it saying that anyone who wants can donate his or her salary to whatever charity they want. Nobody has to keep his salary.
source: JPost
I tend to agree with Amsalem and not allow this to become a law. Were it to become a law, pressure would be put on MKs and Ministers all the time to give up the salary or extras because of this or that. Most MKs are not in the same situation as Nir Barkat in regards to personal wealth.
For most of the MKs, this is their job and this is the salary they live on. The money for extra benefits such as office needs and staying in touch with the public is necessary for the functioning of the job. Why should those MKs be regularly pressured to forgo their salaries and benefits? Nir Barkat, and whoever else so desires, can donate his salary and that's fine. There is no need to open the door to pressuring others to follow suit.
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