As the Knesset ended its summer session Wednesday, Speaker Shevach Weiss chastised opposition and coalition members for behavior that he said endangered democratic government in Israel.
Weiss, citing a lack of parliamentary decorum from both sides of the aisle, said that this year’s Knesset term had been too stormy – even by Israeli standards.
He cited incidents from recent weeks, including organized uproars on the Knesset floor, coordinated efforts by opposition members to heckle government ministers off the podium and disruptions that prevented the speaker from maintaining order.
Among the final pieces of Knesset business Wednesday, opposition members called for a national referendum to approve any further implementation of the Palestinian self-rule accord.
The measure was defeated – during a day that included yet more parliamentary mayhem.
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.
