Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, adjourned last night for the summer months with the adoption of a law providing that the post of Prime Minister can be given only to a member of the Knesset. Until now, all other members of the Cabinet, except the Premier, were named in the law linking Cabinet membership with Parliamentary office.
The Knesset postponed further debate on the Anatomy and Pathology bill, a measure aimed at tightening regulations regarding postmortems at hospitals. At present, hospitals are not required to obtain a kin’s permission for the performance of an autopsy. Israel’s religious parties have supported the stricter regulations.
In another vote, the Knesset approved the second and final reading of the amendment to the Knesset Building Immunity Law, adapting it to the area around the new building where the next Knesset session will take place.
The Knesset also passed the first reading of an amendment aimed at liberalizing the libel law approved by the last Knesset, which had resulted in widespread protest from various quarters. No one voted against the amendment, but abstentions were recorded by the Communists and by Uri Avneri, the journalist who was elected to the Knesset last year on an independent ticket.
The amendment was proposed by a special committee appointed by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in the face of growing opposition to the original measure. According to the amendment, which will be debated after the summer recess, the truth of an item and the fact that its publication is in the public interest will be sufficient defense against charges of libel. The amendment also eases the penalties for publishers and journalists found guilty of libel.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
