The Knesset began its annual spring recess on Tuesday, which is scheduled to continue until May 10, after a week in which a wide range of legislation was brought to the plenum and advanced ahead of the break.
During the recess, the Knesset plenum can convene under certain circumstances. However, the parliament will mostly hold committee meetings rather than its regular weekly plenum sessions to pass laws, which take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
With elections to be held no later than October, the upcoming summer session, set to begin on May 10, is the government's last opportunity to pass legislation during its term.
Opposition lawmakers have sharply criticized the coalition for advancing controversial legislation unrelated to the war during Operation Roaring Lion.
Knesset eases requirements for unpaid leave during the war
One of the last bills the Knesset approved before the recess began on Tuesday was to ease the requirements for employees to receive halat (unpaid leave) during the war.
The bill passed on Tuesday with 44 lawmakers in favor and 35 against.
Many employees across the country were placed on unpaid leave due to their workplaces being closed or affected by the war.
The approved period for easing requirements is defined as February 28 to April 14. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has the authority to extend this period by order, provided it does not go beyond May 14.
The proposal shortens the period required to qualify for the unpaid leave benefits from 14 days to ten days. Unpaid leave initiated by the employee, rather than the employer, will also be recognized for eligibility purposes.
The bill also proposes easing requirements for people with disabilities, spouses of reservists who served 90 days or more, spouses of wounded IDF soldiers, and spouses of victims of hostile acts since October 7.
The proposal amends the Special Grant Law for individuals aged 67 and above, granting eligibility for a special payment to those who were dismissed or placed on unpaid leave during the war.
Separately, a compensation framework for businesses also requires Knesset approval and is part of a series of broad measures advanced by the Finance Ministry to support businesses, employees, and nonprofit organizations affected by the war.
The 2026 state budget was also approved on Sunday in its final readings, averting a government collapse. Early elections would have been called by law if the budget had not passed.
Final reading passes death penalty for terrorists
The Knesset also passed a law mandating the death penalty for terrorists in Israel in its final readings on Monday evening before the Knesset recess.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has pushed for death penalty legislation since the start of his tenure, repeatedly stating that its passage was a condition of his Otzma Yehudit Party's coalition agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Knesset committees held marathon discussions on the bill to advance it rapidly, with discussions continuing amid the war.
Other bills being debated during the war include the controversial communications reform bill, which proposes sweeping changes to Israel’s broadcasting sector, as well as a bill that seeks to split the attorney-general's role into three separate positions, amid the ongoing rift between the government and the judiciary.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Boaz Bismuth announced on Monday that the controversial haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription bill is set to be advanced again amid the IDF manpower shortage.
At the start of Operation Roaring Lion, Netanyahu stated that the draft bill would be “set aside” for the sake of national unity and would not be advanced during wartime.
Bismuth’s announcement to advance the draft bill again came after IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned during a security cabinet meeting last Wednesday that the military was nearing its breaking point and could soon collapse due to a manpower shortage.