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Progressive legislation on conversion, surrogacy advances as Knesset reconvenes
The Knesset returned to work yesterday as the winter session commenced with fiery speeches and the advancement of two politically sensitive legislative items.
Speaking at the plenum’s opening session, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the IDF for its actions during Operation Protective Edge and warned that, “There is no greater danger to our area than Iran becoming a threshold nuclear state.” However, he used the thrust of his speech to defend building in all areas of Jerusalem, having earlier in the day announced his intention to advance construction plans for around 1,000 units in East Jerusalem. Netanyahu said, “The violence against us is not an outcome of the building in Jerusalem … Terror comes from our enemies’ desire that we shouldn’t be here at all, in no place and in no part of Jerusalem. Not in Tel Aviv, or Haifa.”
Labour head and opposition leader Isaac Herzog also spoke, condemning the prime minister. He said, “There is no peace, no security, no economy, no housing, no income, no hope. There is no reason to leave Netanyahu in power.” If he were prime minister, said Herzog, “I would come to Ramallah and tell the Palestinian people that there is hope for peace.”
Meanwhile, the Knesset Constitution and Law Committee yesterday approved second and third readings of a bill which would reform the state-sanctioned Jewish conversion system in Israel. The bill is spearheaded by Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah faction and is also supported by Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beitenu. However, Netanyahu this week dropped support for the draft law, which is fiercely opposed by Jewish Home and ultra-Orthodox parties.
The plenum also approved the first reading of a law to give same-sex couples and individuals the same surrogacy rights as heterosexual couples. Yesh Atid’s Health Minister Yael German, who drafted the law called the vote “good news” which would “bring about equality between people.” However, the legislation faces strong opposition from coalition partner Jewish Home, with MK Yoni Cheitboun warning of a “children’s market.”