From the Knesset page on this role:
The Secretary General of the Knesset oversees and manages the parliamentary functions of the Knesset. In this capacity, the Secretary General prepares and organizes the sittings of the Knesset Plenum, advises the Speaker of the Knesset on matters related to procedure and custom, and oversees the implementation of the Plenum’s decisions. The Secretary General, or Deputy Secretary General, are present during the Knesset Plenum’s sittings.
The Knesset Secretary General is in charge of the Knesset Secretariat, which coordinates the agenda for the meetings of the Knesset Plenum with the Members of Knesset, parliamentary groups, committees, the Government Secretariat and the Government ministries. The activity of the Knesset Secretariat is a reflection of the parliamentary activity in the Knesset Plenum and the committees, as it maneuvers the various parliamentary items (motions of no-confidence, motions for the agenda, motions for a quick debate, Questions Hour in the Plenum, bills and parliamentary questions) between the Knesset Plenum, the Knesset committees and the various Government ministries, in accordance with the decisions of the Plenum. In general, the Knesset Secretariat monitors and supervises the parliamentary procedures.
Four candidates had thrown their hats into the ring for this position, including Haredi woman Rivka Ravitz (famously mother of 12, as this gets mentioned every time she does) who formerly served as Chief of Staff for President Reuven Rivlin.
The Knesset today voted and selected Dan Merzouk (sp?) for the role of Secretary General of the Knesset.
Interestingly, MK Uri Maklev (UTJ) criticized the vote saying that the only reason Ravitz was not selected, despite being eminently qualified, is because she is Haredi. People who talk about women's rights are silent when it is a Haredi woman involved.
1. more than 1 person can be qualified for a position. I would assume all four candidates were qualified. Only one person can win an election - it does not mean the other 3 were discriminated against. If Maklev is going to claim discrimination, he is going to have give more information than just the fact that one is Haredi.
2. Maklev himself, along with the rest of his party, would never allow Rivka Ravitz to be elected and serve for them, so it is ironic that he is criticizing others for the same thing (even if true) that he himself would do and does. Maybe it is ok because the position is called "secretary" and in his mind that is appropriate for women :-)
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Charedim are very good at exploiting modern Western concepts for their own benefit without actually practicing them themselves. It's been pointed out that charedism wouldn't be able to exist today if acceptance of other cultures hadn't become a "thing" in the 1960's. That, and the big government welfare programs of the era.
ReplyDeleteFun fact: In the US, charedim are a protected class under affirmative action rules. This was accomplished due to some heavy (and dishonest), um, "lobbying" in the Reagan Administration.
Ravitz probably suffered from the fact that the two parties she's identified with (UTJ and Likud) are in the opposition, nothing more. Also that Rivlin has had some very bad PR in the last couple of days.
And that Ravitz, rather than be qualified for anything, has basically built her career on nepotism and insider deals between career politicians. This is glossed over or ignored in all the glowing profiles of her. I recall one where she actually began saying, in describing her career, "I was a teacher and didn't like it, and then my father-in-law called me and said, 'Rivka, do you want...'" and then she seemed to realize what she was saying, trailed off, literally mumbled some words, and said, "And so I got this job!"
It's not hard to look up who her father-in-law was, and how she transitioned from him to Rivlin, but it's nothing that the "charedi career supermom of twelve" narrative wants you to know.
all true but she also must have done her job well, after she got it
DeleteMaybe. Or maybe it wasn't the most demanding job.
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