Israel 1958 (rev. 2013) Subsequently amended

1. What the Knesset is

2. Place of sitting

3. Composition

4. Electoral system

5. The right to vote

5A. The right to present a list of candidates (Amendments 19 and 21)

6. The right to be elected (Amendments 8, 10, 22, and 26)

1. Minimum age for first chamber, Eligibility for first chamber
   Every Israel national who on the day of the admission of a candidates list containing his name is twenty-one years of age or over shall have the right to be elected to the Knesset, unless a court has deprived him of that right by virtue of Law, or he has been sentenced, by a final judgment, to a penalty of actual imprisonment for a term exceeding three months and on the day of submission of the list of candidates seven years have not yet passed since the day when he terminated his period of imprisonment, unless the chairman of the Central Elections Committee has determined that the offence of which he has been convicted, in accordance with the circumstances, does not bear moral turpitude.
2. [Annulled]
3. A candidate for the Knesset who has been sentenced as specified in subsection (a) and whose judgment has become final after the submission of the list of candidates and before he has assumed tenure as a Knesset member, will be deemed to have withdrawn from the list of candidates that includes his name, or from his tenure in the Knesset, as relevant, unless the chairman of the Central Elections Committee has determined that the offence of which he has been convicted, in accordance with the circumstances, does not bear moral turpitude.
4. The determination of the chairman of the Central Elections Committee under subsections (a) and (c) is not required if the court has stated by law that the offence, in accordance with the circumstances, does bear moral turpitude.
5. For the purpose of this section –
   • "Actual imprisonment" means the sum of all terms of actual imprisonment the convicted person must serve in a single continuous period, even if ordered in different sentences, including suspended sentences that have been activated;

     "Offence" means each of the offences for which a period of actual imprisonment has been ordered.

6A. Restriction on the candidacy of a Knesset member seceding from his faction (Amendments 12, 21 and 36)

1. Eligibility for first chamber
   A Knesset member seceding from his faction and failing to tender his resignation as a Knesset member in close proximity to his secession, shall not be included, in the election for the next Knesset, in the list of candidates submitted by a party that was represented by a faction of the outgoing Knesset; This provision does not apply to the splitting of a faction under the conditions prescribed by law.
2. For the purposes of this section –
   • "Secession from a faction " - including voting in the Knesset plenum not in accordance with the faction’s position regarding the expression of confidence or no confidence in the government; however, such voting shall not be deemed as secession if the Knesset member has not received any consideration in exchange for his vote;

     "Consideration " – means directly or indirectly, by a promise or future commitment, including the assurance of a place on a list of candidates for the Knesset, or the appointment of the Knesset member himself or someone else to a certain position.

7. Who shall not be a candidate (Amendments 2, 21, and 33)

7A. Prevention of participation of candidates' list (Amendments 9, 35, and 39)

1. Eligibility for first chamber
   A candidates' list shall not participate in elections to the Knesset, and a person shall not be a candidate for election to the Knesset, if the objects or actions of the list or the actions of the person, expressly or by implication, include one of the following:
   1. negation of the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state;
   2. incitement to racism;
   3. Terrorism
      support of armed struggle, by a hostile state or a terrorist organization, against the State of Israel.
2. Eligibility for first chamber
   For the purposes of this section, a candidate that was at a hostile state unlawfully within the seven years preceding the date for submitting the candidates' list, is deemed a person whose actions express support of armed struggle against the State of Israel, as long as he has not proven otherwise.
3. Supreme court powers, Electoral commission
   The decision of the Central Elections Committee that a candidate is prevented from participating in the elections requires the affirmation of the Supreme Court of Israel.
4. A candidate will make a declaration for the purposes of this section.
5. Particulars regarding the hearing at the Central Elections Committee and at the Supreme Court of Israel, as well as regarding a declaration under subsection (c) shall be prescribed by law.

8. Term of office of the Knesset

9. Date of elections (Amendment 1)

9A. Extending the Knesset's term (Amendment 15)

1. The Knesset shall not extend its term except by law passed by a majority of eighty members of the Knesset and only if special circumstances exist that prevent holding the elections at their proper time; the period of extension shall not exceed the time necessary due to the aforementioned circumstances; the election date shall be fixed by the aforementioned law.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of section 34, the Knesset may, by a resolution passed by the majority of its members, advance the date of elections fixed under subsection (a), provided that the new date is no earlier than the date fixed for Knesset elections under section 9.

10. Election day to be a day of rest

11. Publication of election results (Amendment 20)

12. Convening of the Knesset (Amendment 37)

13. Amendments 27, and 37

14. The opening meeting (Amendment 23)

15. Declaration of allegiance by members of the Knesset (Amendment 23)

1. A Knesset member shall make a declaration of allegiance; the declaration shall read as follows:

   "I pledge myself to bear allegiance to the State of Israel and faithfully to discharge my mandate in the Knesset."

2. Procedures for the declarations shall be prescribed by law.

16. Failure to make declaration

16A. Failure to make declaration due to dual citizenship (Amendment 22)

17. Immunity of Knesset members

18. Immunity of Knesset buildings

19. Procedure and rules

20. Chairman and Vice-Chairmen (Amendments 24, 27, 34 and 37)

1. The Knesset shall elect from among its members a Chairman and Vice-Chairmen. Until the Chairman is elected, the most senior Knesset member who is not the Prime Minister, a Minister or Deputy Minister, shall serve as Interim Chairman. In this section, "senior" means the one whose term of office in the Knesset is the longest, consecutively or non-consecutively, and among those with equal seniority - the oldest.
2. The Knesset may, in its Rules, set restrictions on the election of a Knesset member to serve as Chairman or Vice-Chairman.
3. The Knesset may, by a resolution passed by a majority of its members, suspend the Chairman or a Vice-Chairman or set restrictions on their post; particulars to be set by law.
4. The Knesset may, by a resolution passed by a majority of its members or by a larger majority as may be prescribed by law, to remove from post the Chairman or a Vice-Chairman; particulars to be set by law.

20A. Acting Chairman and Interim Chairman of Knesset (Amendments 4, 24 and 27)

1. Whenever the Chairman of the Knesset leaves the territory of the State, a Vice-Chairman shall serve as Acting Chairman until his return.
2. Legislative committees
   Whenever the Chairman of the Knesset notifies the House Committee, or if the House Committee decides, that for reasons of health the Chairman of the Knesset is temporarily unable to carry out his functions, or the Chairman announces that he is temporarily unable to perform his duties and the House Committee acknowledges his announcement, a Vice-Chairman shall serve as Acting Chairman until the Chairman notifies the House Committee or until the House Committee decides that the Chairman is no longer unable to carry out his functions.
3. When the post of Chairman of the Knesset has fallen vacant - because the Chairman has resigned or has died or because the House Committee has decided that for reasons of health he is permanently unable to carry out his functions - a Vice-Chairman shall serve as Interim Chairman until the Knesset elects a new Chairman.

c1

1. If the Chairman of the Knesset is suspended from his post by a decision under Section 20(c), a Vice-Chairman shall serve as Acting Chairman until the suspension is lifted or until the election of a new Chairman, as relevant.
2. If the Chairman of the Knesset is removed from his post by a decision under Section 20(d), a Vice-Chairman shall serve as Acting Chairman until the election of a new Chairman.
4. The Vice-Chairman who is to serve as Acting Chairman or Interim Chairman of the Knesset shall be elected in that behalf by the House Committee.
5. During his tenure as Acting Chairman or Interim Chairman of the Knesset, the Vice-Chairman shall serve in every capacity assigned to the Chairman of the Knesset by law, shall carry out every function imposed upon the Chairman of the Knesset by law and shall exercise every power vested in the Chairman of the Knesset by law.
6. The provisions of this section shall also apply, mutatis mutandis, if the circumstances envisaged in subsection (a), (b), (c) or (c1) with regard to the Chairman of the Knesset exist with regard to a Vice-Chairman who is serving as Acting Chairman or Interim Chairman.

21. Committees (Amendments 13, 14, 16, and 28)

1. Standing committees
   The Knesset shall elect from among its members permanent committees, and it may elect from among its members committees for specific matters; the functions, powers and procedure of the committees shall, in so far as they are not prescribed by Law, be prescribed by the Rules.
2. The Rules may prescribe provisions concerning the committees’ authority to summon an office holder or a functionary of the Civil Service, municipal authority, religious council, corporation established by law or government corporation, and to oblige him to provide information on the activity of the body in which he serves, unless such disclosure entails a violation of a law, or of a professional duty or an obligation of trust to which he is bound by law, and he shall be assured the rights of a witness before a court; the summon shall be issued under the auspices of the relevant Minister or with his knowledge, and for someone who is not in the Civil Service under the auspices of the head of the body in which the invitee serves; However, the appointed Minister or the head of the body in which the invitee serves may inform the committee that he himself will appear in place of the invitee.
3. [Annulled]

21A. Knesset supervision of secondary legislation (Amendment 30)

1. Regulations enacted by a Minister whose violation entails criminal punishment shall not enter into force, unless they have been approved prior to publication by a committees of the Knesset committees responsible for that matter; should the committee fail to approve or reject the regulations within 45 days of receiving the regulations, the regulations will be deemed approved.
2. The provisions of this subsection do not prejudice the provisions of any Basic Law or other law regarding regulations.

22. Commissions of inquiry

23. Government member who is not a member of the Knesset

24. Quorum (Amendment 6)

25. Majority

26. Meetings

27. Publicity of meetings (Amendment 17)

28. Publication (Amendment 17)

29. Amendment 17

30. Amendment 17

31. Sessions (Amendments 5 and 29)

32. Amendment 31

33. Amendments 25, 27, and 29

34. Dissolution of the Knesset (Amendment 15)

35. Date of elections after dissolution of the Knesset (Amendment 30)

36. Term of office of the Knesset after dissolution

36A. Dispersion due to failure to adopt budget (Amendment 30)

1. Non-adoption of the Budget Law within three months subsequent to the beginning of the fiscal year will be considered to be a Knesset decision on its dispersion, prior to the completion of its term of service, on the day following the end of this period (hereafter: the determining date), and early elections will be held on the last Tuesday before the end of 90 days of the determining date, unless the Knesset decides by a majority vote of its members, within five days of the determining date, that because of the proximity of the date of elections to a holiday, festival day or memorial day, to postpone the elections to a date no later than 100 days from the determining date.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), should the President of the State begin procedures to form a new Government under section 30 of The Basic Law: The Government, or should a law be adopted to disperse the Knesset, or should elections to the Knesset be held, after the date for submission of the Draft Budget under section 3 of The Basic Law: The State Economy and before the passage of three months from the beginning of the fiscal year, the determining day under subsection (a), shall be three months from the beginning of the fiscal year or 45 days from the constitution of the Government, whichever is later.

37. Continuity of the Knesset

38. Extension of validity of enactments

39. Remuneration of members of the Knesset

40. Resignation of member of the Knesset

41. Consequences of resignation

42. Termination of tenure or candidacy (Amendment 33)

42A. Knesset member who has been convicted (Amendments 7, 18, 26, and 32)

1. Should a Knesset member be convicted, by final judgment, of a criminal offence, and the court, by its own initiative or at the request of the Attorney-General has stated that the offence carry moral turpitude, his membership of the Knesset shall end on the day the judgment becomes final, no matter if the offence was committed when he was a member of that same Knesset, a member of a previous Knesset, or before he was a member of the Knesset.
2. Subsection (a) shall apply also to a Knesset member whose judgment became final after he began to serve as a member of the Knesset; the request of the Attorney-General in accordance with subsection (a) may be submitted as long as the judgment has not become final; the request shall be submitted to the court that handed the judgment, and if an appeal has been filed, to the court of appeal.

42B. Suspension (Amendments 7, 26 and 38)

1. Where a Knesset member has been convicted of a criminal offence, and the court, by its own initiative or at the request of the Attorney-General has stated that the offence carry moral turpitude, he shall be suspended from office as a Knesset member from the day the court’s judgment was handed and until the time when the judgment becomes final.
2. Where a Knesset member has been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment, he shall be suspended from his office as a Knesset member for the period during which he is undergoing his penalty of imprisonment.
3. The orders of this section shall also apply to a Knesset member who has been convicted of an offence as stated in Subsection (a) or (b) before becoming a Knesset member.

43. Replacement of Knesset member (Amendment 7)

1. If the seat of a member of the Knesset falls vacant, it shall be filled by the candidate who, in the list of candidates which included the name of the late member, figured immediately after the last of the elected candidates.
2. Where a person's membership of the Knesset has been suspended under section 42B, his seat shall become vacant for the period of the suspension and his place shall be taken by the candidate referred to in subsection (a). If he resumes his seat, the last of the list of candidates who became a Knesset member shall cease to hold office, but his right to become again a Knesset member thereafter, by virtue of the provision of subsection (a), shall not be affected thereby.

44. Law not to be affected by emergency regulations

45. Entrenched sections

45A. Application of entrenchment (Amendment 15)

46. Special majority when required (Amendments 3, 11, and 15)

1. Prohibition of transfer of ownership

2. Permission by Law

3. Definition

1. Status

2. Place of residence

3. Election and period of tenure (Amendments 2 and 4)

1. Head of state selection, Head of state term length
   The President of the State shall be elected by the Knesset for seven years.
2. Head of state term limits
   The President will serve for one term only.

4. Eligibility (Amendment 4)

5. Date of election (Amendment 8)

6. Proposal of candidates (Amendment 8)

1. The Chairman of the Knesset shall notify all the members of the Knesset, in writing, not later than seven days before the day of the election, of every candidate proposed and of the names of the members of the Knesset who have proposed him, and shall announce the candidates at the opening of the meeting at which the election is held.

7. Voting

8. Election by majority of votes (Amendments 7 and 9)

1. If there are two candidates or more, the candidate who has received the votes of a majority of the members of the Knesset is elected. If no candidate receives such a majority, a second ballot shall be held. At the second ballot only the two candidates who received the largest number of votes at the first ballot shall stand for election. The candidate who at the second ballot receives a majority of the votes of the members of the Knesset who take part in the voting and vote for one of the candidates is elected. If two candidates receive the same number of votes, voting shall be repeated.
2. If there is only one candidate, the ballot will be in favor or against him and he is elected if the number of votes in his favor outweighs the number of votes against him. If the number of votes in his favor equals the number of votes against him, a second ballot shall be held.
3. If no President of the State is elected under subsection (b), a repeat ballot shall be held within thirty days of the day of the ballot with accordance to Sections 5 to 7 and this Section, but the proposal of a candidate shall be submitted no later than seven days before the day of the election.

9. Declaration of allegiance

10. Making of declaration and commencement of period of tenure (Amendment 4)

1. The President-Elect shall make his declaration of allegiance upon the expiration of the period of tenure of the preceding President of the State or as soon as possible beforehand, and shall begin to hold office upon the expiration of the period of tenure of the preceding President of the State.
2. If the place of the preceding President of the State falls vacant before the expiration of his period of tenure, the President-Elect shall make his declaration of allegiance as soon as possible after his election and shall begin to hold office upon making his declaration of allegiance.

11. Functions and powers (Amendments 3 and 5)

1. The President of the State -
   1. shall sign every Law, other than a Law relating to its powers;
   2. shall carry out the functions assigned to him by Basic Law: The Government;
   3. shall receive from the Government a report on its meetings;
   4. Foreign affairs representative
      shall accredit the diplomatic representatives of the State, shall receive the credentials of diplomatic representatives sent to Israel by foreign states, shall empower the consular representatives of the State and shall confirm the appointments of consular representatives sent to Israel by foreign states;
   5. shall sign such conventions with foreign states as have been ratified by the Knesset;
   6. shall carry out every function assigned to him by Law in connection with the appointment and removal from office of judges and other office-holder's.
2. Power to pardon
   The President of the State shall have power to pardon offenders and to lighten penalties by the reduction or commutation thereof.
3. The President of the State shall carry out every other function and have every other power assigned to him by Law.

12. Counter-signature (Amendments 2 and 5)

13. Immunity with regard to discharge of functions

1. The President of the State shall not be amenable to any court or tribunal, and shall be immune from any legal act, in respect of anything connected with his functions or powers.
2. The President of the State shall not, in giving evidence, have to disclose anything which came to his knowledge in the discharge of his functions as President of the State.
3. The immunity of the President of the State under this section shall continue after he has ceased to be President of the State.

14. Immunity from criminal proceedings

15. Evidence

16. Salary and other payments (Amendment 1)

17. President to hold no other office

1. Legislative committees, Eligibility for head of state
   Save with the sanction of the House Committee of the Knesset, the President of the State shall not hold any post, or exercise any function, other than the post and functions of President of the State.
2. The President of the State shall be exempt from all compulsory service.

18. Departure for abroad

19. Resignation

20. Removal of President from office

1. The Knesset may, by resolution, remove the President of the State from office if it finds that he is unworthy of his office owing to conduct unbecoming his status as President of the State.
2. The Knesset shall not remove the President of the State from office, save following a complaint brought before the House Committee by at least twenty members of the Knesset and upon the proposal of the House Committee passed by a three-quarters majority of the members of the Committee. A resolution by the Knesset to remove the President from office shall require a three-quarters majority of the members of the Knesset.
3. The House Committee shall not propose the removal of the President of the State from office before he has been given an opportunity to refute the complaint in accordance with procedure prescribed by the Committee with the approval of the Knesset, and the Knesset shall not resolve to remove the President of the State from office before he has been given an opportunity to be heard in accordance with procedure prescribed by the House Committee with the approval of the Knesset.
4. The President of the State may be represented before the House Committee and before the Knesset by an authorized representative. A member of the Knesset shall not act as the representative of the President. The House Committee and the Knesset may summon the President of the State to be present at proceedings under this section.
5. Proceedings of the Knesset under this section shall be taken at a meeting, or successive meetings, assigned solely for that purpose. The proceedings shall begin not later than twenty days after the resolution of the House Committee. The time of their beginning shall be notified by the Chairman of the Knesset to all the members of the Knesset, in writing, at least ten days in advance. If the beginning of the proceedings does not fall in one of the session terms of the Knesset, the Chairman of the Knesset shall convene the Knesset for the proceedings.

21. Vacation of post for reasons of health

1. The Knesset may, by resolution passed by a majority of its members, declare that for reasons of health the President of the State is permanently unable to carry out his functions.
2. The Knesset shall not pass a resolution as aforesaid save upon the proposal of the House Committee passed by a two-thirds majority of its members on the strength of a medical opinion given in accordance with rules prescribed by the Committee.
3. If the Knesset resolves as aforesaid, the place of the President of the State shall become vacant on the day of the resolution.

22. Temporary cessation of exercise of office (Amendment 2)

1. The President of the State shall temporarily cease to carry out his functions and exercise his powers –
   1. if he leaves the territory of the State - from the time of his leaving until his return;
   2. if he notifies the House Committee that he is temporarily unable to carry out his functions and the Knesset Committee approves his notification by a majority of votes – from the time of the approval of the notification until the expiration of the period fixed by the Committee in its resolution or until the President of the State notifies the House Committee that he is no longer unable to carry out his functions, whichever is the earlier date;
   3. if the House Committee, by a two-thirds majority of its members, on the strength of a medical opinion given in accordance with rules prescribed by the Committee, resolves that for reasons of health the President of the State is temporarily unable to carry out his functions – from the passing of the resolution until the expiration of the period fixed by the House Committee in the resolution or until the House Committee resolves that the President is no longer unable to carry out his functions.
2. The House Committee shall not, under subsection (a)(2) or (3), fix a period exceeding three months. It may extend the period, without a break, up to a maximum of three additional months. Any further extension shall require a resolution of the Knesset passed by a majority of the members of the Knesset upon the proposal of the House Committee.

23. Interim President and Acting President

1. If the place of the President of the State has fallen vacant, and so long as the new President has not yet begun to hold office, the Chairman of the Knesset shall hold office as Interim President of the State.
2. During a period in which the President of the State has temporarily ceased to carry out his functions and exercise his powers, the Chairman of the Knesset shall hold office as Acting President of the State.
3. While holding office as Interim President of the State or Acting President of the State, the Chairman of the Knesset shall carry out the functions assigned to the President of the State by Law and shall exercise the powers vested in the President of the State by Law.

24. Notices in Reshumot

1. The Chairman of the Knesset shall publish a notice in “Reshumot” as to -
   1. the commencement of the tenure of the President of the State;
   2. the vacancy of the place of the President of the State;
   3. the commencement and termination of the tenure of the Chairman of the Knesset as Acting President of the State under section 22(a)(2) and (3).
2. The Prime Minister shall publish a notice in “Reshumot” as to the President's leaving the territory of the State and as to his return.

25. Law not to be affected by emergency regulations

26. Repeal

1. There are hereby repealed -
   1. sections 2(c), 6 and 7 of the Transition Law, 5709-1949;
   2. the State President (Tenure) Law, 5712-1951;
2. The State President, Government Members and Chief Rabbis of Israel (Fixing of Salaries) Law, 5711-1950, shall no longer apply to the salary of the President of the State or to payments due to him or his survivors.

27. Transitional provision

1. Taxes, compulsory loans, and fees (Amendment 1)

1. Taxes, compulsory loans and other compulsory payment shall not be imposed, and their amounts shall not be varied, save by or under Law; the same shall apply with regard to fees.
2. Where the amounts of any taxes, compulsory loans or other compulsory payments, or fees, payable to the Treasury are not prescribed in the Law itself, and the Law does not provide that the amounts prescribed therefore by regulations shall require approval by the Knesset or by a committee of the Knesset, the amounts prescribed therefore by regulations shall require approval - in advance or within the period prescribed by the Law - by a decision of the Knesset or of a committee of the Knesset empowered by it in that behalf.

2. State property

3. The State Budget (Amendments 1, 2, and 7)

1. In case of necessity, the Government may bring in an Additional Budget Bill during the fiscal year.
2. Where it appears to the Government that the Budget Law will not be adopted before the beginning of the fiscal year, it may bring in an Interim Budget Bill.
3. The Minister of Finance shall submit to the Knesset every year a report on the implementation of the State Budget. Particulars shall be prescribed by Law.

3A. Multi-annual budget (Amendment 4)

1. Towards every fiscal year, the Government shall prepare a multi-annual budget plan that will include the Budget Bill for the coming year, as well as a budget plan for the two following consecutive years.
2. The Government shall submit to the Knesset the multi-annual budget plan together with the Budget Bill.
3. Every budget bill submitted by the Government to the Knesset shall be based on the multi-annual budget plan prepared and submitted under with this Section in the previous year.

3B. Failure to adopt budget (Amendment 5)

1. In case of non-adoption of the Budget Law prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, the Government is entitled to spend every month a sum equal to one twelfth of the previous annual budget, with increase linked to the consumer price index published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
2. Funds under Subsection (a) shall be designated first of all to fulfill the State's obligations by virtue of law, contracts and treaties. The remainder shall be used by the Government only for the operation of vital services and activities included in the previous Budget Law.
3. Constitution amendment procedure
   This Section may not be altered, save by a majority of the members of the Knesset.

3C. Legislation requiring a budget (Amendment 6, Announcements 1 and 2)

1. A Budgetary Bill shall not be passed by the Knesset, save with the votes of at least 50 Members of the Knesset. The aforementioned majority is required in the first, second and third readings. However, should a Bill turn into a Budgetary Bill after first reading, the aforementioned majority is required in the second and third readings.
2. A Budgetary Reservation shall not be passed by the Knesset, save with the votes of at least 50 Members of the Knesset. Where a Budgetary Reservation to a bill is passed, the Bill shall not pass the third reading save with the votes of at least 50 members of the Knesset.
3. Legislative committees
   The determination of the Budgetary Cost, for the purpose of this Section, of a Bill or Reservation, shall be that of the Knesset Committee deliberating that Bill or Reservation (hereinafter - the Committee). The Committee shall determine the Budgetary Cost by the evaluation of the Minister of Finance, or someone authorized by him for that purpose, unless it has been proven to its satisfaction, by another evaluation submitted to it, that the Budgetary Cost is different from that evaluated by the Minister of Finance. Evaluations under this Section shall be submitted together with data and estimates.
4. In this Section -
   • "Budgetary Bill" – means a bill fulfilling all of the following:

     "Budgetary Reservation" – means a reservation to a bill, fulfilling all of the following:

     1. Its implementation involves a Budgetary Cost of 5,991,899 New Israeli Shekels or more, in any budget year;
     2. The Government has not given its consent to the Budgetary Cost;

     "Budgetary Cost" – means Expenditure or a commitment for Expenditure from State Budget, or a Diminution in State Revenues, even if that Expenditure or Diminution is accompanied by a reduction in Expenditure or a commitment for Expenditure from State Budget, or by an increase in State Revenues;

     "Expenditure from State Budget", "Diminution of State Revenues" - including expenditure from the budget of a Budgeted Body, or a diminution in the revenues of a Budgeted Body;

     "Budgeted Body" – as defined by Article 21 of the Foundations of the Budget Act, 5745-1985.

5. The sums specified in the definitions of "Budgetary Bill" and "Budgetary Reservation" in subsection (d) shall be updated on the 1st of January of every year, according to the rate of change in the consumer price index published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
6. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to a bill regarding the dissolution of the Knesset and holding elections.

4. Currency notes and coins

5. Inspection (Amendment 3)

1. Defence Army of Israel

2. Subordination to civil authority

1. The Army is subject to the authority of the Government.
2. The Minister in charge of the Army on behalf of the Government is the Minister of Defence.

3. Chief of the General Staff

1. The supreme command level in the Army is the Chief of the General Staff.
2. The Chief of the General Staff is subject to the authority of the Government and subordinate to the Minister of Defence.
3. The Chief of the General Staff shall be appointed by the Government upon the recommendation of the Minister of Defence.

4. Duty to serve and recruitment

5. Instructions and orders in the Army

6. Other armed forces

1. Jerusalem, Capital of Israel

2. Seat of the President, the Knesset, the Government and the Supreme Court

3. Protection of Holy Places

4. Development of Jerusalem

1. Legislative committees
   The Government shall provide for the development and prosperity of Jerusalem and the well-being of its inhabitants by allocating special funds, including a special annual grant to the Municipality of Jerusalem (Capital City Grant) with the approval of the Finance Committee of the Knesset.
2. Jerusalem shall be given special priority in the activities of the authorities of the State so as to further its development in economic and other matters.
3. The Government shall set up a special body or special bodies for the implementation of this section.

5. Area of the jurisdiction of Jerusalem (Amendment 1)

6. Prohibition of the transfer of authority (Amendment 1)

7. Entrenchment (Amendment 1)

Chapter One. Basic Provisions

Chapter Two. Judges

Chapter Three. The Courts

Chapter Four. Miscellaneous Provisions

1. Essence

2. State Audit

1. The Comptroller will audit the economy, the property, the finances, the obligations and the administration of the State, of Government Ministries, of all enterprises, institutions, or corporations of the State, of Local Authorities, and of bodies or other institutions which were defined by law as subject to audit by the State Comptroller.
2. The State Comptroller shall inspect the legality, integrity, managerial norms, efficiency and economy of the audited bodies, as well as any other matter which he deems necessary.

3. Duty to provide information

4. Comptroller as Commissioner for Complaints

5. Additional tasks

6. Accountability to the Knesset

7. Election and Term of office (Amendment 1)

1. The State Comptroller shall be chosen by the Knesset in a secret ballot; the exact arrangements shall be set by law.
2. The term of office of the State Comptroller shall be seven years.
3. The State Comptroller will serve for one term only.

8. Qualifications (Amendment 1)

9. Pledge of allegiance

10. Budget

11. Salary and emoluments

12. Contact with Knesset and issuance of reports

1. The State Comptroller shall maintain contact with the Knesset, as determined by law.
2. The State Comptroller shall issue reports and opinions within the scope of his duties and shall publish them, subject to any restrictions determined by law.

13. Removal from office (Amendment 2)

14. Acting State Comptroller

1. Basic principles (Amendment 1)

1A. Purpose (Amendment 1)

2. Preservation of life, body and dignity

3. Protection of property

4. Protection of life, body and dignity

5. Personal liberty

6. Leaving and entering Israel

1. All persons are free to leave Israel.
2. Every Israel national has the right of entry into Israel from abroad.

7. Privacy

1. All persons have the right to privacy and to intimacy.
2. Regulation of evidence collection
   There shall be no entry into the private premises of a person who has not consented thereto.
3. Regulation of evidence collection
   No search shall be conducted on the private premises of a person, nor in the body or personal effects.
4. There shall be no violation of the confidentiality of conversation, or of the writings or records of a person.

8. Violation of rights (Amendment 1)

9. Reservation regarding security forces

10. Validity of laws

11. Application

12. Stability

1. Basic principles

2. Purpose

3. Freedom of occupation

4. Violation of freedom of occupation

5. Application

6. Stability

7. Entrenchment

8. Effect of nonconforming law (Amendment 2)

1. A provision of a law that violates freedom of occupation shall be of effect, even though not in accordance with section 4, if it has been included in a law passed by a majority of the members of the Knesset, which expressly states that it shall be of effect, notwithstanding the provisions of this Basic Law; such law shall expire four years from its commencement unless a shorter duration has been stated therein.
2. The provision regarding the expiration of validity, mentioned in subsection (a) shall not apply to a law adopted within one year from the date in which this Basic Law entered into effect.

9. Repeal

10. Provisional (Amendments 1 and 2)

11. Amendment of Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty

1. What the Government is

2. Seat of Government

3. Confidence of the Knesset

4. Responsibility

5. Composition

1. Name/structure of executive(s), Establishment of cabinet/ministers
   The Government is composed of a Prime Minister and other Ministers.
2. Eligibility for head of government
   The Prime Minister shall be a member of the Knesset. A Minister need not be a member of the Knesset.
3. Establishment of cabinet/ministers
   A Minister shall be in charge of a Ministry; there may be Ministers without Portfolio.
4. One of the Ministers who is a member of Knesset may be designated as Acting Prime Minister.
5. Deputy executive
   A Minister may be Deputy Prime Minister.

6. Eligibility of Ministers

1. A Minister must be an Israeli citizen and a resident of Israel.
2. A person shall not be appointed Minister if he is serving in a position or role as specified in section 7 of The Basic Law: The Knesset, unless he ceased functioning in the said position or role upon or prior to his appointment, as prescribed by law.
Electoral commission
c
1. If a person was convicted of an offense and sentenced to prison and if seven years have not yet passed since the day he on which he finished serving his period of punishment, or since the handing down of his sentence - whichever was later - shall not be appointed Minister, unless the Chairman of the Central Election Committee states that the circumstances of the offense do not involve moral turpitude.
2. The Chairman of the Central Election Committee shall not so rule if the court determined that the offense involved moral turpitude.
3. If a person holds a citizenship other than Israeli, and if the law of the country of which he is a citizen allows him to be released from such citizenship, he shall be appointed Minister only after he has taken all measures necessary to be released from such citizenship.
4. A Knesset Member seceding from his faction and failing to tender his resignation as a Knesset member may not be appointed as a Minister during the period of service of that Knesset. This does not apply to the splitting of a faction as defined by law. "Secession from a faction" is defined in section 6(a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset.

7. Assignment of task of forming Government

1. Cabinet selection
   When a new Government has to be constituted, the President of the State shall, after consultation with representatives of party groups in the Knesset, assign the task of forming a Government to a Knesset Member who has notified him that he is prepared to accept the task; the President shall do so within seven days of the publication of the election results, or should the need arise to form a new government; and in the case of the death of the Prime Minister, within 14 days of his death.
2. Should this consultation take place before the new Knesset is convened, the President will consult the representatives of the lists of candidates to be represented in the new Knesset.
3. This section shall not apply to the formation of a Government following a no confidence vote according to section 28 or in the event of an application to the President under section 29(b), and the provisions specified in those sections shall apply.

8. Periods for formation of Government

9. Re-assignment of task

1. Cabinet selection
   Where the periods referred to in section 8 have passed and the Knesset Member has not notified the President of the State that he has formed a Government, or where he has notified him before then that he is unable to form a Government, or where he presented a Government and the Knesset rejected his request for confidence under section 13(d), the President may assign the task of forming a Government to another Knesset Member who has notified him that he is prepared to accept the task, or may inform the Chairman of the Knesset that he sees no possibility of forming a Government - all within three days from the end of the period, or from the day of the Knesset member's statement that he cannot form a government, or from the rejection of confidence in the Government, as applicable.
2. Before assigning the task of forming a Government under this section, or before informing the Chairman of the Knesset that he sees no possibility of forming a Government, the President may again consult with representatives of factions in the Knesset.
3. Cabinet selection
   A Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been assigned under this section shall have 28 days in which to do so.

10. Assignment of task at the request of party groups

1. Cabinet selection
   Where the President of the State has informed the Chairman of the Knesset, under section 9(a) that he sees no possibility of forming a Government, or where he has assigned the task of forming a Government to a Knesset Member under the same section and the Knesset Member has not notified him within 28 days that he has formed a Government, or has notified him before then that he is unable to form a Government, or presented a Government and the Knesset rejected his request for confidence under section 13(d), a majority of the members of the Knesset may request, in writing, that the President of the State assign the task to a particular member of the Knesset, who so agreed in writing, all within 21 days of the President's announcement, or from the end of the period designated in section 9(c), or from the statement by the Knesset Member that he cannot form a Government, or from the rejection of confidence in the Government, as relevant.
2. Cabinet selection
   Where a request as aforesaid has been submitted to the President, the President shall assign the task of forming a Government to that Knesset Member within two days.
3. Cabinet selection
   A Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been assigned under this section shall have a period of fourteen days for its fulfillment.

11. Early elections in the event of failure to form a government

1. Should no request be submitted under section 10(a), or should a Knesset Member fail to form a Government within the period defined in section 10(c), or if he should prior to that time inform the President that he cannot form a Government, the President shall so inform the Knesset Chairman.
2. Should the President so inform the Knesset Chairman, or should a Knesset Member charged with forming a Government under section 10(a) present a Government and fail to win the confidence of the Knesset under section 13(d), then the Knesset shall be deemed to have decided to disperse prior to the completion of its period of service, and elections for the Knesset will be held on the last Tuesday before the end of 90 days of the President's announcement, or of the rejection of the request for confidence in the Government, as relevant.

12. Discontinuance of proceedings for formation of Government

13. Formation of Government

1. Where the President of the State has assigned to a Knesset Member the task of forming a Government, he shall notify the Chairman of the Knesset to such effect, and the Chairman of the Knesset shall notify the Knesset.
2. Where the Knesset Member has formed a Government, he shall notify the President of the State and the Chairman of the Knesset to such effect, and the Chairman of the Knesset shall notify the Knesset and set a date for the presentation of the Government to the Knesset within seven days of such notification.
3. Head of government selection
   The Knesset Member who has formed a Government shall head it.
4. When a Government has been formed, it shall present itself to the Knesset, shall announce the basic lines of its policy, its composition and the distribution of functions among the Ministers, and shall ask for an expression of confidence. The Government is constituted when the Knesset has expressed confidence in it, and the Ministers shall thereupon assume office.

14. Declaration of allegiance

15. Cooption of a Minister

16. Acting Prime Minister

1. Deputy executive
   Should the Prime Minister be absent from Israel, meetings of the Government will be convened and conducted by the designated Acting Prime Minister.
2. Deputy executive, Head of government removal
   Should the Prime Minister be temporarily unable to discharge his duties, his place will be filled by the Acting Prime Minister. After the passage of 100 days upon which the Prime Minister does not resume his duties, the Prime Minister will be deemed permanently unable to exercise his office.
3. Failing the appointment of a designated Acting Prime Minister, or should the Acting Prime Minister be prevented from fulfilling his duties under sections (a) and (b) above, the Government shall designate another Minister, who is a member of the Knesset, to exercise that office.

17. Interrogation and impeachment of the Prime Minister

1. Head of government immunity
   Criminal proceedings shall not be commenced against the Prime Minister save with the agreement of the Attorney General.
2. Head of government immunity
   Criminal proceedings shall not be commenced against someone who served as Prime Minister on suspicion of an offense committed while in office or within a year after serving in office, save with the consent of the Attorney General.
3. An indictment against the Prime Minister will be filed and presided over in the Jerusalem District Court, in a presidium of three judges; proceedings regarding an indictment filed before the Prime Minister begins his term of office shall be prescribed by law.
4. Should the Court convict the Prime Minister of an offense, it will state in its decision whether the offense involved moral turpitude.

18. Removal from office pursuant to an offense

1. Cabinet removal
   Should the Prime Minister be convicted of an offense, which the court states involves moral turpitude, the Knesset may remove him from office, pursuant to a decision of a majority of the Knesset members. Should the Knesset so decide, the Government shall be deemed to have resigned.
2. Legislative committees
   Within 30 days of the verdict becoming final, the House Committee of the Knesset will render its decision regarding its recommendation pertaining to the removal of the Prime Minister from office, and shall present its recommendation to the Knesset plenum; should the House Committee fail to bring its recommendation to the plenum during the prescribed period, the Chairman will raise the issue in the Knesset plenum.
3. No decision shall be made by either the Knesset or the House Committee of the Knesset regarding the removal of the Prime Minister from office, before the Prime Minister has been given an opportunity to state his case before them.
4. Cabinet removal
   Should the Knesset decide not to remove the Prime Minister from office, and should the verdict as per subsection (a) above become final, the Prime Minister will cease to serve in office and the Government shall be deemed to have resigned on the day the verdict becomes final.
5. The provisions of sections 42(a) and 42(b) of the Basic Law: the Knesset, shall not apply to the Prime Minister.

19. Resignation of Prime Minister

20. Death or permanent incapacity of Prime Minister

1. If the Prime Minister dies, the Government shall be deemed to have resigned on the day of his death.
2. Should the Prime Minister be permanently incapacitated, the Government shall be deemed to have resigned on the 101st day during which the Acting Prime Minister served in his place.

21. Prime Minister or Acting Prime Minister ceasing to function as members of Knesset

1. Cabinet removal, Head of government removal
   Should the Prime Minister cease to be a Member of the Knesset, he will be deemed to have resigned on the day his membership of the Knesset ceased. The resignation of the Prime Minister shall be deemed to be the resignation of the Government.
2. Should an Acting Prime Minister cease to be a Knesset Member, he shall cease to serve as Acting Prime Minister.

22. Termination of tenure of Minister

1. A Minister, other than the Prime Minister, may, after informing the Government of his intention to do so, resign from the Government by submitting a letter of resignation to the Prime Minister. His service in the Government will be terminated upon the passage of 48 hours from the time the letter of resignation reached the Prime Minister, unless he retracts his resignation prior to such time.
2. The Prime Minister may, after informing the Government of his intention to do so, remove a Minister from his post; the removal of Minister will take effect 48 hours after the letter notifying thereof was given to the Minister, unless the Prime Minister retracts prior to such time.
3. The tenure of a Minister in the Government ceases upon his election or appointment to one of the function the holders of which are debarred from being candidates for the Knesset.

23. Termination of tenure of Minister pursuant to an offense

1. An indictment against a Minister, except for offenses to be determined by law, will be presented and judged in a district court; procedures regarding indictments filed before a Minister assumed tenure will be determined by law.
2. Cabinet removal
   Should a Minister be convicted by the court, it shall state in its verdict whether the offense involves moral turpitude; should the court so state, the Minister's tenure shall cease on the day of such verdict.
3. This section does not apply to the Prime Minister.

24. Acting Minister

1. Should a Minister, except for the Prime Minister, be absent from the country, the Government can charge another Minister to take his place. The Acting Minister will discharge the Minister's duties, in all or in part, as determined by the Government.
2. Should a Minister cease to hold office or be temporarily incapable of discharging his duties, the Prime Minister or another Minister appointed by the Government will discharge his duties.
3. The period of tenure of an Acting Minister under subsection (b) will not exceed three months.

25. Deputy Ministers

1. The Minister in charge of an office, may, with the consent of the Prime Minister and the approval of the Government, appoint one Deputy Minister for the office from among the Knesset members. A Deputy Minister shall assume his role after notice of his appointment has been given by the Government at the Knesset; a Deputy Minister appointed by the Prime Minister shall be entitled "a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's office".
2. The Deputy Minister shall act both in the Knesset and in the ministry, on behalf of the Minister who appointed him and within the parameters allocated to him.
3. A Knesset member seceding from his faction may not be appointed to the position of Deputy Minister during the period of service of the same Knesset. This provision does not apply to the splitting of a faction under the conditions prescribed by law; for the purposes of this subsection, "secession from a faction" as defined by section 6(a) of The Basic Law: The Knesset.

26. Termination of service of a Deputy Minister

27. Termination of tenure of Deputy Minister pursuant to an offense

28. Expression of no confidence in the Government

1. Cabinet removal, Head of government removal
   The Knesset may adopt an expression of no confidence in the Government.
2. Head of government removal, Cabinet removal
   An expression of no confidence in the Government will be by a resolution adopted by the majority of the Members of the Knesset to request that the President of the State assign the task of forming a Government to a certain Knesset Member who gave his written consent thereto.
3. Cabinet removal, Head of government removal
   If the Knesset has expressed no confidence in the Government, the Government shall be deemed to have resigned on the day of the expression of no confidence. The President will, within two days, charge the Knesset Member so named with the task of forming a Government.
4. Dismissal of the legislature
   A Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been assigned by the President of the State under this section shall have a period of 28 days for its fulfillment. The President may extend the period by additional periods not in the aggregate exceeding 14 days.
5. Dismissal of the legislature
   Where the periods referred to in subsection (d) have passed and the Knesset Member has not notified the President of the State that he has formed a Government, or where he has notified him before then that he is unable to form a Government, the President will so notify the Chairman of the Knesset.
6. Dismissal of the legislature
   If the President of the State so informed the Chairman of the Knesset as per subsection (e), or where the Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been assigned under this section presented a Government and the Knesset rejected his request for confidence under section 13(d), it will be deemed to be a Knesset resolution to disperse prior to the completion of its period of service, and elections to the Knesset will be held on the last Tuesday before the end of 90 days of the President's announcement, or of the rejection of the request for confidence in the Government, as relevant.

29. Authority to disperse the Knesset

1. Should the Prime Minister ascertain that a majority of the Knesset opposes the Government, and that the effective functioning of the Government is prevented as a result, he may, with the approval of the President of the State, disperse the Knesset by way of an order to be published in Reshumot. The order will enter into effect 21 days after its publication, unless a request is submitted under subsection (c), and the Government will be deemed to have resigned on the day of the order's publication.
2. Within 21 days of the publication of the order, a majority of the Knesset Members may request in writing from the President of the State to assign the task of forming a Government to a certain Knesset Member who gave his written consent thereto, and who is not the Prime Minister.
3. Where a request as aforesaid in subsection (b) has been submitted to the President of the State, the President shall inform the Chairman of the Knesset. The President shall assign the task of forming a Government to the Knesset Member named in the request within two days.
4. The Knesset Member to whom the task of forming a Government has been assigned under this section shall have a period of 28 days for its fulfillment. The President of the State may extend the period by additional periods not in the aggregate exceeding 14 days.
5. Where no such request was submitted under subsection (b), or where the periods referred to in subsection (d) have passed and the Knesset Member has not notified the President of the State that he has formed a Government, or where he has notified him before then that he is unable to form a Government, the President will so notify the Chairman of the Knesset.
6. If the President of the State gave notice under subsection (e) or if the Knesset member presented a Government and the Knesset rejected the request that it express confidence in it under section 13(d), then the Knesset is deemed to have decided to disperse before the end of its term of office, and elections to the Knesset will be held on the last Tuesday before the end of 90 days of the day of the order's entry into effect, or of the day the periods to form a Government has passed, or of the day of the announcement to the President, or of the day of the rejection of the request for confidence in the government, as relevant.
7. The Prime Minister may not exercise his authority according to this section -
   1. From the beginning of the period of service of the incoming Knesset and until the establishment of the new Government;
   2. After the Knesset has expressed no confidence in the Government under section 28;
   3. After the resignation of the Prime Minister, or from the day on which a verdict was given stating he has committed an offense carrying moral turpitude and until the Knesset plenum renders its decision in the matter in accordance with the provisions of section 18(a).
8. An Acting Prime Minister shall not be entitled to exercise the authority of the Prime Minister under this section.

30. Continuity of Government

1. When a new Knesset has been elected or the Government has resigned under sections 18, 19, 20, 21, 28 or 29, or if a request is submitted under section 29(b), the President of the State shall begin proceedings for the formation of a new Government, as laid out in this Basic Law.
2. When a new Knesset has been elected or the Government has resigned under sections 18, 19, 20, 21 28 or 29, the outgoing Government shall continue to carry out its functions until the new Government is constituted.
3. Head of government replacement
   A Prime Minister who has resigned shall continue to carry out his functions pending the constitution of the new Government. If the Prime Minister has died, or is permanently incapacitated from carrying out his duties, or if his tenure was ended because of an offense, the Government shall designate another of the Ministers who is a Member of the Knesset and of the Prime Minister's faction to be Interim Prime Minister pending the constitution of the new Government.
4. A Government that serves under subsection (b) may appoint a Knesset Member as a Minister in place of a Minister who has ceased to serve; the appointment of a Minister under this subsection does not require the approval of the Knesset.

31. Functioning of the Government

1. The Government may, with the approval of the Knesset, change the division of roles among the Ministers, with the exception of the role of the Prime Minister.
2. The Government may, with the approval of the Knesset, transfer authorities and duties legally belonging to one Minister, in all or in part, to another Minister.
3. The Government may, with the approval of the Knesset, unite or divide Government ministries, abolish or establish new ministries.
4. The Government may transfer areas of actions from one ministry to another.
5. The Government may establish permanent or temporary Ministerial committees, or for particular matters; after the appointment of a committee the Government may conduct its operations through it.
6. The Government will set work, meetings and debate procedures, and decision-making processes in the Government, whether permanent or for a specific matter.

32. Residual powers of Government

33. Delegation of powers

1. Powers granted by law (din) to the Government may be delegated to one of the Ministers; this does not apply to powers granted in accordance with this Basic Law, except for powers under section 32.
2. Powers granted to a Minister by law, or transferred to him under the provisions of section 31(b), with the exclusion of the authority to make regulations, may be delegated by the Minister, either totally or partially or subject to conditions, to a civil servant.
3. Powers delegated by the Government to a Minister, with the exception of the power to make regulations, may be delegated by the Minister, either totally or partially or subject to conditions, to a civil servant, provided that the Government empowered him to do so.
4. For the purposes of this section, the power granted to the Government or a Minister also refers to duties incumbent upon them.
5. The provisions of this section will apply provided no other intention is evidenced by the law conferring the power or imposing the obligation.

34. Assumption of powers

35. Secrecy

1. The debates and decisions of the Government and those of the Ministerial committees regarding the following matters are secret and their disclosure and publication is prohibited:
   1. State security;
   2. Foreign relations of the State;
   3. Matters regarding which the Government deems secrecy to be essential to the State, and a notification thereof having been declared in an order, for the purposes of this section;
   4. A matter that the Government has decided to keep secret; the disclosure and publication of such matters is forbidden only to persons who were aware of the decision.
2. The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to matters regarding which the Government or the Prime Minister, or such persons that the Government or the Prime Minister have so specifically authorized, have permitted their publication, or to matters the publication of which is legally mandatory.

36. Salaries and pensions

37. Regulations

1. The Minister charged with the implementation of a law, is empowered to make regulations for its implementation.
2. A law may empower the Prime Minister or a Minister to make regulations in a matter decided by the empowerment.

38. Declaration of a state of emergency

1. Should the Knesset ascertain that the State is in a state of emergency, it may, of its own initiative or pursuant to a Government proposal, declare that a state of emergency exists.
2. The declaration will remain in force for the period prescribed therein, but may not exceed one year; the Knesset may make a renewed declaration of a state of emergency as stated.
3. Should the Government ascertain that a state of emergency exists in the State, and that its urgency necessitates the declaration of a state of emergency even before it becomes possible to convene the Knesset, it may declare a state of emergency. The declaration's validity shall expire upon 7 days from its proclamation, if not previously approved or revoked by the Knesset pursuant to a decision by a majority of its members; should the Knesset fail to convene, the Government may make a renewed declaration of a state of emergency as stated in this subsection.
4. The Knesset and Governmental declarations of a state of emergency will be published in Reshumot; should publication in Reshumot not be possible, another appropriate manner of publication will be adopted, provided that notification thereof be published in Reshumot at the earliest possible date.
5. The Knesset may at all times revoke the declaration of the state of emergency; notification of its revocation will be published in Reshumot.

39. State of emergency

1. During a state of emergency the Government may make emergency regulations for the defense of the State, public security and the maintenance of essential services and supplies; emergency regulations will be submitted to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee at the earliest possible date after their enactment.
2. Should the Prime Minister deem it impossible to convene the Government, and that there exists an immediate and critical need to make emergency regulations, he may make such regulations or empower a Minister to make them.
3. Emergency regulations may alter any law, temporarily suspend its effect or introduce conditions, and may also impose or increase taxes or other compulsory payments, unless there is another provision by law.
4. Human dignity
   Emergency regulations may not prevent recourse to legal action, or prescribe retroactive punishment, or allow infringement upon human dignity.
5. Emergency regulations shall not be enacted, nor shall arrangements, measures and powers be implemented in their wake, except to the extent warranted by the state of emergency.
6. The force of emergency regulations shall expire three months after the day of their enactment, unless their force is extended by law, or they are revoked by the Knesset by law or pursuant to a decision of a majority of the Members of Knesset.
7. Emergency regulations shall come into force on the day of their publication in Reshumot; should publication in Reshumot not be possible another appropriate means of publication will be adopted provided that they be published in Reshumot at the earliest possible date.
8. Should the state of emergency cease to exist, the regulations enacted will remain in force for the duration of the prescribed period, however not longer than for 60 days after the termination of the state of emergency; state of emergency regulations whose force was lengthened by law shall remain in force.

40. Declaration of war

1. Power to declare/approve war
   The state may only begin a war pursuant to a Government decision.
2. Nothing in the provisions of this section will prevent the adoption of military actions necessary for the defense of the state and public security.
3. Notification of a Government decision to begin a war under the provision of subsection (a) will be submitted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee as soon as possible; the Prime Minister also will give notice to the Knesset plenum as soon as possible; notification regarding military actions as stated in subsection (b) will be given to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee as soon as possible.

41. Inapplicability of emergency laws

42. The Government and Knesset committees

1. Legislative oversight of the executive
   The Government will provide the Knesset and its committees with information upon request and will assist them in the discharging of their roles; special provisions will be prescribed by law for the classification of information when the same is required for the protection of state security and foreign relations or international trade connections or the protection of a legally mandated privilege.
2. Legislative oversight of the executive
   The Knesset may, at the request of at least forty of its members, conduct a session with the participation of the Prime Minister, pertaining to a topic decided upon; requests as stated may be submitted no more than once a month.
3. Legislative oversight of the executive
   The Knesset may obligate a Minister to appear before it, similar authority is granted to any of the Knesset committees within the framework of their tasks.
4. Any of the Knesset committees may within the framework of the discharging of their tasks, and under the auspices of the relevant Minister or with his knowledge, require a civil servant or any other person prescribed in the law, to appear before them.
5. Any Minister may speak before the Knesset and its committees.
6. Details regarding the implementation of this section may be prescribed by law or in the Knesset Rules.

43. Change in election date

44. Permanence of the Law

1. This Basic Law can only be changed by a majority of the Knesset Members; the majority under this subsection will be required for decisions of the Knesset plenum in the first, second and third readings; for purposes of this subsection, "change" is either explicit or by implication.
2. The provisions of this subsection will not apply to sections 45 and 46.

45. Amendment of Basic Law: The Knesset - No. 30

1. Section 35 shall conclude "not later than five months from the adoption of the law."
2. The following will be added after section 36:

   “36A. Dispersion due to failure to adopt budget

   "(c) Non-adoption of the Budget Law within three months subsequent to the beginning of the fiscal year will be considered to be a Knesset decision on its dispersion, prior to the completion of its term of service, on the day following the end of this period (hereafter: the determining date), and early elections will be held on the last Tuesday before the end of 90 days of the determining date, unless the Knesset decides by a majority vote of its members, within five days of the determining date, that because of the proximity of the date of elections to a holiday, festival day or memorial day, to postpone the elections to a date no later than 100 days from the determining date.

   "(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), should the President of the State begin procedures to form a new Government under section 30 of The Basic Law: The Government, or should a law be adopted to disperse the Knesset, or should elections to the Knesset be held, after the date for submission of the Draft Budget under section 3 of The Basic Law: The State Economy and before the passage of three months from the beginning of the fiscal year, the determining day under subsection (a), shall be "three months from the beginning of the fiscal year or 45 days from the constitution of the Government, whichever is later."

46. Repeal of The Basic Law: The Government

47. Effect and applicability

1. The provisions of this Basic Law shall apply to elections and to formation of the Government, beginning with elections to the 16th Knesset.
2. Subject to the provisions of subsection (a), this Law shall go into effect on the day the Government is formed as said in subsection (a).
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), section 44 shall go into effect on the day on which this Law is published.