Think the Knesset Oversees the Government? Think Again

The Knesset is in trouble.
For years, the legislative branch’s oversight powers over government ministries have been eroding, and the public is the one losing out. While the relationship between the legislative and judicial branches has long dominated political and media discourse, the same cannot be said about the relationship between the legislative and executive branches. This topic, often seen as less interesting or even niche, has a profound impact on life in Israel.

Knesset members are all too familiar with the following phenomenon, though it is rarely discussed outside the chamber: bureaucrats and representatives from security agencies often refuse to attend committee meetings. Information requested by committees from government ministries or security agencies arrives late, incomplete, or not at all. In other instances, low-ranking representatives are sent without the tools or authority to provide substantive input during discussions.

Does this sound trivial? It isn’t. This problem affects every committee, as well as emergency debates initiated by Knesset members and even parliamentary questions, which are often answered late or in a cursory manner.

Israel’s Knesset is numerically small relative to its population compared to other countries. The problems are vast, the discussions numerous, but the tools at our disposal to address the root causes and perform effective oversight are limited compared to our counterparts in other parliaments.

Recently, I attended a closed-door discussion where a government ministry was asked to provide an opinion on a bill. The ministry refused, citing that a security agency had yet to provide its input. The security agency didn’t show up—without any specific reason, simply because it could. For the record, according to legislative norms, the ministry had no dependence on the security agency’s opinion at such an early stage of the legislative process.

As a result, coalition and opposition members alike found themselves in a futile legislative discussion with no ability to move forward. The session ended without significant progress, and the repercussions? None. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident—it happens regularly to varying degrees.

Knesset members lack the tools and information necessary for effective oversight. There are also insufficient sanctions to enforce cooperation from government ministries. If you assume that the Knesset is capable of overseeing critical state functions like security, foreign relations, education, and healthcare, the reality is this: only partially, and it depends on the committee chair and the minister overseeing the relevant ministry.

So how do we start fixing this?

1. Raise public awareness
The Knesset is weakened, and it is the citizens who suffer as a result. It is in your interest that we can properly oversee governmental decisions.

2. Build broad political support
This is no simple task, as it will cost money and is not in the interest of those in power, who prefer a Knesset that can be managed and controlled—especially in the unstable political climate of recent years.

3. Create true separation between the legislative and executive branches
A full Norwegian Law for all government ministers (with a unique status for the Prime Minister) is just the start. Both the government and the Knesset deserve full-time representatives—not part-timers who are primarily focused on late-night voting and lack parliamentary authority.

4. Increase the number of Knesset members
I know this is not a popular idea, but the Knesset is too small relative to the population and the volume of discussions. Believe me, you want Knesset members who have time to delve into the details of debates, not ones who hop between committees, spending ten minutes in each.

5. Strengthen existing powers and tools
Expand the Knesset’s authority and the enforcement mechanisms available to it, ensuring that ministries and agencies cooperate and comply.

The Knesset’s oversight role is critical to a functioning democracy, and if we want to improve governance, these steps are essential.