The Israeli Knesset rejected three bills calling for a widespread prisoner amnesty as part of Israel’s 50th anniversary commemoration. The votes were held as part of a flurry of parliamentary activity aimed at wrapping up outstanding Knesset business before the body’s Passover recess. In another vote, lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected a bill to oblige all citizens, including fervently Orthodox Jews and Israeli Arabs, to serve in the army or do national service.
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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.
