Rivlin tells new members that throwing water prevents proper discourse.
By JPOST.COM STAFF, GIL STERN STERN HOFFMANShai Piron and Shimon Solomon370(photo credit: GIL HOFFMAN)
As party leaders brokered their terms in coalition negotiations, veteran MKs had some words of advice for the new Knesset members. Among the new incoming members gleaning wisdom from their senior counterparts was Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid) who is the first American born Knesset member in 30 years, and who said that he was "excited about starting to serve." Speaker of the Knesset, MK Reuven Rivlin warned the freshman MKs on Sunday, saying that the public is watching them, and should they fail to carry out their service appropriately then they could find themselves on the outside after one term.Rivlin noted that never has there been such a large new number of incoming Knesset members. He said that the fact that there are 50 outgoing MKs is a message from the public and that "we must restore their faith in the Knesset." Speaking on the importance of civility in the legislature, and referring to the scandal when former Yisrael Beytenu MK Anastastia Michaeli poured water on her colleague, former Labor MK Ghaleb Majadle, Rivlin advised the MKs that "throwing water prevents proper discourse," and he implored the new members "not to lower the bar by arguing in an embarrassing way."The oldest serving MK, Binyamin Ben Eliezer, had similar advice to new legislators and said that he expects them to restore the public's faith in the Knesset. "Don't talk until you learn," Ben Eliezer told them.