Knesset Opens with Populist Bills Going Nowhere
Populist legislation, spotlighted by the news media, emerged from the right and left of the governing coalition after the Knesset winter session began, but no dramatic change should be expected.
Since the opening of the Knesset’s winter session last week, Oct. 14, newspaper headlines, news websites, radio and TV talk shows have been full of reports of revolutionary legislative initiatives from the right and left of the coalition.
All these pretentious initiatives have two things in common: The first is populism that is intended to take over the agenda of a government plagued by contradictory interests — a preparation of sorts for the next elections — and the second is that they have little chance of actually passing. In the meantime, everyone benefits: Those proposing the initiatives get huge headlines, and those opposing them get to fight heroically against bills that will never pass.
