RELATED:lower turnout as 'social justice' hits streets againMystic Rabbi Pinto backs social justice movementOn Monday, immediately after Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni address the plenum in the winter session’s celebratory first meeting, the weekly votes of no-confidence will begin.While Kadima has proposed a vote under its usual topic – “Netanyahu’s diplomatic, economic and social failures” – other parties have focused on more specific issues.Labor’s measure, for example, will express a lack of confidence in the prime minister because of his “failure to shrink social and economic gaps.” This topic, a major part of Labor’s platform, is expected to play an even bigger role for the party in the winter session, following the social justice protests throughout the country.New Labor chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich is widely seen as having won the party leadership primary due to support from the demonstrators, and is likely to try to stay popular by continuing to focus on socioeconomic issues.Social NGOs have teamed up with MKs from Kadima and Labor to make sure the calls for change move “from the tents to the Knesset” via legislation on topics mentioned in this summer’s and this weekend’s demonstrations such as affordable housing, education and health reforms and employment.In fact, this week, no fewer than seven bills on housing are expected to be brought to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation in search of coalition support.Coalition parties will also be initiating socioeconomic bills. MK Carmel Shama- Hacohen (Likud), chairman of the Knesset Economics Committee, and MK Miri Regev (Likud), chairwoman of the Knesset Caucus for the Right to Housing, have outspokenly advocated reforms, calling for action that goes further than the Trajtenberg Committee on Socioeconomic Change’s recommendations.As chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women, MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) has pushed for the implementation of existing rules requiring free earlychildhood education, in line with the Trajtenberg Report.A source from the initiative to draft bills complementary to the Trajtenberg recommendations also mentioned MK Orly Levy-Abecassis (Israel Beiteinu) as a coalition member who has been friendly to the protesters’ cause, and who is considering cooperating with the social NGOs’ campaign.However, for the leaders of the social justice movement, these legislative efforts may not be enough.Daphni Leef, Stav Shafir and others have been calling for the 2012 state budget to be canceled and replaced with “a new social budget through cooperation with the public.”
Summer protests' shadow looms over Knesset’s winter
Analysis: While it may seem like business as usual at Knesset, issues raised on streets this summer are on the agenda for winter session.
RELATED:lower turnout as 'social justice' hits streets againMystic Rabbi Pinto backs social justice movementOn Monday, immediately after Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni address the plenum in the winter session’s celebratory first meeting, the weekly votes of no-confidence will begin.While Kadima has proposed a vote under its usual topic – “Netanyahu’s diplomatic, economic and social failures” – other parties have focused on more specific issues.Labor’s measure, for example, will express a lack of confidence in the prime minister because of his “failure to shrink social and economic gaps.” This topic, a major part of Labor’s platform, is expected to play an even bigger role for the party in the winter session, following the social justice protests throughout the country.New Labor chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich is widely seen as having won the party leadership primary due to support from the demonstrators, and is likely to try to stay popular by continuing to focus on socioeconomic issues.Social NGOs have teamed up with MKs from Kadima and Labor to make sure the calls for change move “from the tents to the Knesset” via legislation on topics mentioned in this summer’s and this weekend’s demonstrations such as affordable housing, education and health reforms and employment.In fact, this week, no fewer than seven bills on housing are expected to be brought to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation in search of coalition support.Coalition parties will also be initiating socioeconomic bills. MK Carmel Shama- Hacohen (Likud), chairman of the Knesset Economics Committee, and MK Miri Regev (Likud), chairwoman of the Knesset Caucus for the Right to Housing, have outspokenly advocated reforms, calling for action that goes further than the Trajtenberg Committee on Socioeconomic Change’s recommendations.As chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women, MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) has pushed for the implementation of existing rules requiring free earlychildhood education, in line with the Trajtenberg Report.A source from the initiative to draft bills complementary to the Trajtenberg recommendations also mentioned MK Orly Levy-Abecassis (Israel Beiteinu) as a coalition member who has been friendly to the protesters’ cause, and who is considering cooperating with the social NGOs’ campaign.However, for the leaders of the social justice movement, these legislative efforts may not be enough.Daphni Leef, Stav Shafir and others have been calling for the 2012 state budget to be canceled and replaced with “a new social budget through cooperation with the public.”