Milwidsky demands to curb the legal counsel: "It disrupts the work of the Knesset"

First publication: The chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, MK Hanoch Milwidsky, addressed a sharp letter this evening (Tuesday) to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, in which he claimed that the legal counsel of the Knesset and the Finance Committee is exceeding its authority, delaying the work of the Knesset, and harming the powers of elected officials. The letter was sent against the backdrop of delays in budgetary requests in the Finance Committee and claims regarding the conduct of the legal counsel surrounding their approval.

In his letter, Milwidsky wrote:

"This is a deliberate policy of exceeding authority, politicization of legal counsel, and direct harm to the powers of the Knesset."

According to him, the legal counsel does not settle for providing professional opinions, but acts in a way that disrupts the work of the Knesset and delays the approval of budgetary transfers. He further noted that in order to prevent the paralysis of the committee's work, he was forced to order the distribution of budgetary requests even before receiving the legal counsel's response.

Milwidsky added that "it is no longer possible to accept a situation in which individuals who are not elected officials take upon themselves powers that were not granted to them by law, disrupt the work of the Knesset, and harm the realization of the voter's will." He called on the Knesset Speaker to "get to the heart of the matter" and take steps to ensure that the legal counsel returns to fulfilling its purpose as an advisory body within the framework of its authority, and not as a body that delays or restricts the activities of elected officials.

It is further claimed in the letter that officials in the legal counsel of the Knesset and the Finance Committee are holding a dialogue with opposition members ahead of the upcoming discussion, with the aim of coordinating the manner of its management and limiting the discussion times in advance, in a way that could, according to Milwidsky, prevent the approval of vital budgetary transfers.

Taking over the Knesset: How the legal counsel paralyzes legislative work

The letter comes against the backdrop of the new documentary film that we broadcast this week on News 14, where it was shown how the legal counsel in the Knesset has moved over the years from the role of a professional advisory body to a player with influence on policy design and legislative procedures. As part of the investigation, MKs and experts were interviewed, who described a significant dependence of legislators on the legal counsel and a fear of a frontal confrontation with it, which, according to them, could delay or thwart legislative initiatives.