Israel's News & Views Blog
Have you ever heard about Chok Ha’Hes’de’rim (perhaps translated as the Law of Arrangements)? It’s one of the most controversial laws in Israel, and in my opinion, one of the most dangerous.
The law originated as part of the “1985 plan for economical stabilization”, when Shimon Peres was prime minister. Its purpose was to bypass the normal — and relatively lengthy — legislative process, via a special “package deal” that gives the current government more power and flexibility to adjust the annual budget in accordance with its immediate needs. However, this measure of emergency wasn’t abandoned as soon as Israel paved its way out of the economic crisis. In fact, Chok Ha’Hes’de’rim is still in use today, being ratified by the Knesset — in an ever puffed-up form — year after year.
Ok, but why is it so controversial? Why do so many people oppose it? Well, primarily, because it overturns countless other laws. For example, although the Knesset had passed legislation that lengthens a woman’s maternity leave up to 14 weeks, there comes the Minister of Finance with his Law of Arrangements and practically trampling over the previous law by stating in the Law of Arrangements that a maternity leave should be shortened back to a maximum 12 weeks. And this is just one example out of many. Citing budgetary constraints, the Ministry of Finance is using this unique law to temporarily cancel countless laws and regulations, but when Chok Ha’hes’de’rim is brought up again year after year, this temporary measurement becomes a permanent stain in the face of our democracy.
To put it simply, Chok Ha’hes’de’rim takes the power out of the people’s representatives and into the hands of several bureaucrats in the Ministry of Finance.
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