[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: The Mattot Arim reports scoring the performance
of MKs from the national camp gets considerable attention from MKs.
Especially MKs in the Likud running in Likud primaries. The following is
IMRA's translation of the report just released today.]
Comparative report
Of ministers and Knesset members
National camp
18th Knesset: Summer Session late 2009 until the end of winter break 2010
Prepared and distributed: Mattot Arim
http://www.facebook.com/MattotArim
http://mattotarim1.blogspot.co.il/
mattot.arim@gmail.com
[IMRA translation]
Table of Contents
A. Summary
B. Introduction
C. What We Checked?
Examined Activities
Governmental tools tested
The research method
D. Findings
Hardworking elected officials
Elected officials with accomplishments
Comparison between factions
E. Conclusions and summary
Summary:
The following is comparative report no. 2 of right wing ministers and
Knesset members. The report refers to the period between 23/07/09 (end of
summer session last year) and May 2010 (the end of the winter break in
2010).
The Mattot Arim movement issues periodic reports summarizing the important
work of national elected officials on issues that distinguish the national
camp such as Palestinian state, the momentum of settlement in Judea and
Samaria, outposts, war on terror, balanced court and much more. The report
refers to all types of activity: Legislation, motions in the Knesset and
government initiatives, governmental activity within the authority of the
Minister or MK, hearings and committees initiated or in which he
participated, queries, help to right wing bodies and councils in the West
Bank and the Golan Heights, conferences, media statements general media,
foreign, Russian etc. - against a Palestinian state and in favor of Israel,
tours, projects, and much more.
Right wing voters are very interested in these reports that help him decide
who and what to vote for when the time comes. Right wing voters want elected
officials to work diligently and intelligently, throughout the term.
Page 8 of the report presents numerical data relating to the persistence and
the level of activity of public officials – the "Diligence Index."
In politics as in life, one measures not only the investment but also and
mainly the yield, ie success in realizing the policy of the national camp.
Therefore, page 11 presents a summary of the achievements of elected
officials.
Introduction:
"What is not measurable – is not managed"
The Mattot Arim movement noticed, a few years ago, that some members of the
national camp in the Knesset did not provide good service to the voter. Some
ministers and Knesset members would "rest" for most of their tenure in the
Knesset, and wake up and engage in action - at best - only close to
elections, after wasting at least 75% of their tenures.
Since then the Matttot Arim movement makes sure to produce occasional
reports on the work of the national camp Knesset members - to allow the
public to reward elected officials who represent him well.
The report is for the national constituency, and distributed to the public
via the internet and the media. We hope this report as its predecessors,
will help you, millions of voters in the national camp: (a) choose the right
new representatives to the Knesset and the government, one day (b) update
your representatives now, you've read good things about them and that you
continue to monitor the work and hope that they will continue to get better
and better.
For contact information of elected officials please contact us: mattot.arim
@ gmail.com
What We Measured?
Governmental and parliamentary tools tested
* Discussions in Knesset committees
* Discussions in the government and government decisions
* Votes in the plenum and committees
* Proposals to the Knesset agenda
* Media statements
* Legislation
* Conferences
* Publicized letters
* Speeches
* Tours and Events in the field
* Knesset queries
* Use of the powers of government
* Lobbying
The research method
A. Careful and comprehensive data collection from the Knesset, Knesset
members sites, organizations and movements of the national camp, the general
media, foreign and sectorial, and MKs themselves
B. Summary classification and computerized processing of the material
collected (over 150 pages of raw material).
C. Calculation of "Diligence Index " based on the raw material - by the
arithmetic summary of the actions that MK took them. For example,an MK filed
5 queries on various aspects of "a Palestinian state threat to Israel",
toured twice in (Hashmonaim and Har Bracha), voted by 10 votes on
nationalist matters in the Knesset, and initiated three committee hearings
on the settlement freeze. The score for that MK will be: 5 + 2 + 10 + 3 =
20.
D. Examination of Fairness: Transfer of material to Knesset members for
review and comment
E. Correction of the raw material and computerized processing depending on
MKs comments
F. Identification of special achievements. Despite the importance of
diligence data generated by computerized processing, we attach great
importance to success and achievement. For example, 13,000 or so bills are
submitted every decade. Of these, only 500 passed and become law.
The Mattot Arim movement is a movement promoting national interests and
human rights organization. So in identifying achievements, we distinguished
humanitarian activity, such as assistance to residents, and national
activity that actually promotes the status of Israel politically -
security - Zionism, especially in Judea and Samaria. National activity is
more important, also because that will prevent pre-created humanitarian
problems of national weakness.
G. Publication of the report
Examined Activities
Here are the issues that we examined, these are the main issues for the
national camp:
A. The political process, including:
1. Opposition to a Palestinian state
2. Freeze in its various aspects:
A) Opposing freezing and budgeting the freeze.
B) Opposing extension of the freeze
C) Compensation for victims of the freeze
3. Gestures that hurt security
4. Palestinian Authority incitement
5. Palestinian boycott of settlement products
6. The one - sided program of Fayyad
B. Strengthening Judea and Samaria, including:
1. Authorization of unauthorized settlements
2. Directing state resources to settle in these areas
3. Tours in the field
4. Statements and information regarding our right to these places
5. Treatment of the human rights of residents
C. Defense and the war on terror, including:
1. Wholesale opposition to the release of terrorists
2. Opposition to gestures to the Palestinians at the expense of security
(such as Route 443)
3. Supervision of the security forces against Arab rioters / anarchists
RESULTS: The diligence of elected officials
Likud - average - 28
Yuli Edelstein 25 Michael Eitan 21 Zeev Elkin 69 Ophir Akunis 26 Gilad Arden
22 Benney Begin 16 Gila Gamliel 10 Danny Danon 66 Tzipi Hotovely 63 Moshe
Ya'alon 18 Moshe Kahlon 11 Haim Katz 17 Israel Katz 14 Limor Livnat 15 Yariv
Levin 116 Dan Meridor 2 Leah Ness 21 Gideon Sa'ar 16 Zion Pinyan 31 Yossi
Peled 9 Ayub Kara 29 Miri Regev 29 Reuven Rivlin 22 Carmel Shama 28 Yuval
Steinitz 13 Silvan Shalom 26
Israel Beiteinu - the average - 17 citations
Yitzhak Aharonovich 13 Danny Ayalon 15 Robert Ilatov 16 Orly Levy -
Abecassis 17 Uzi Landau 16 Sofa Landver 8 Moshe Mutz Matalon 19 Anastasia
Michaeli 18 Alex Miller 19 Stas Misezhnikov 7 Hamad Amar 20 Faina
Kirschenbaum 22 David Rotem 38 Lia Shemtov 14
Shas - average - 21 citations
David Azoulay 28 Ariel Atias 5 Haim Amsalem 46 Yitzhak Vaknin 22 Nissim Zeev
40 Eli Yishai 8 Amnon Cohen 21 Isaac Cohen 8 Avraham Michaeli 41 Yaakov
Margi 10 Meshulam Nahari 10
United Torah Judaism - average - 16 citations
Moshe Gafni 26 Jacob Litzman 4 Menachem Eliezer Moses 14 Uri Maklev 26 Meir
Porush 11
National Union - average - 71 citations
Aryeh Eldad 51 Uri Ariel 88 Michael Ben Ari - 105 Yaakov Katz 40
Jewish Home - average 45 citations
Uri Orbach 51 Zevulun Orlev 61 Daniel Hershkowitz 22
Diligence of elected officials: analysis of the findings
A. Ministers present lower level of activity than the members of the Knesset
as they "put themselves into a corner" – they rarely express themselves in
the media, do not take advantage of their rights under the Basic Law: The
Government, even under the rules the government: they do not bring proposals
to the government, do not promote legislation International Ministerial
Committee on Legislation, do not present queries (although they may do so by
government regulations), and did not establish force multiplying groups -
such as the Land of Israel lobby in the Knesset. That is to say: ministers,
in contrast to the outstanding MKs, voluntarily decline to use their many
powers.
B. Level of activity of MKs has increased greatly since the previous report
for reasons: The Lobby that upgraded all national camp and produced power
multipliers at each level of activity, the level of danger that came because
of the collapse of Netanyahu with Obama, and the public response that
signaled elected officials that more performance is demanded from them.
C. The surprise at the top: MK Yariv Levin in first place. Yariv Levin
works by subjects, unlike most Knesset members - often to use each and every
parliamentary tool available to lawmakers, is careful to inform the public
about his work and pushes himself to more and more achievements. Another
surprise, Zeev Elkin - he undertook three critical roles in the national
camp (chairman of the coalition, caucus chairman and chairman of the
Subcommittee on the West Bank) and therefore succeeded to reach a high
score.
D. Factional summary surprise: Israel Beiteinu faction, factional average
stands very low - 17 points, less than Shas and very close to the average of
Torah Judaism, which is not bound at all to national interests. Israel
Beiteinu is also the only faction that none of its Knesset members did not
pass the threshold 40 points. Also the internal segmentation in the Yisrael
Beiteinu faction is a surprise: David Rotem over twice as active relative to
those defined previously as the best parliamentarian of the right - Minister
Uzi Landau (Rotem - 38 operations, Uzi Landau - 16 acts).
Mirror image of the Israel Beiteinu - National Union faction, with an
faction average much higher than the rest - 71 points, with all its Knesset
members blessed with more than 40 points.
E. Surprise among ministers - first place Silvan Shalom who managed to beat
Minister Yuli Edelstein by one point primarily because of investment in
media statements for the national camp.
F. Big surprise Torah Judaism, the only faction in the Knesset, except the
Left, that refused during the election period to oppose a Palestinian state.
Still Torah Judaism assists in life saving and humanitarian issues. This
time - Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev easily pass Menachem Porush who in the
past was the highest scoring MK in the faction. Prominent negatively is MK
Litzman who was unable to score even on saving lives - a score of only 4.
H. Huge improvement Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon who had an
embarrassing score of 0 before and now reaches 15 points, for example thanks
to his work for the settlement in Hebron, including a high-profile tour
Great progress for Leah Ness (7 times the score in the previous report
points to 21), and Yaakov Margi, Meshulam Nahari, Limor Livnat.
I. Likud MKs who persistently bravely publicly opposes a Palestinian state
at every opportunity, were found , not surprisingly, to be outstanding MKs
in every way. Of four legislators of the Likud leadership (Levin, Elkin,
Danon and Hotovely), 3 of the 4 are careful to speak of a Palestinian state
as a threat to Israel (Yariv, Danon and Hotovely).
J. Shas MKs who consistently excelled are Rabbi Haim Amsalem, Avraham
Michaeli and Nissim Zeev.
Important achievements
The following elected officials had especially important achievements:
(In Hebrew alphabetical order)
Yuli Edelstein
Zevulun Orlev
Michael Eitan
Arieh Eldad
Zeev Elkin
Ofir Akunis
Gilad Arden
Uri Ariel
Michael Ben Ari
Benny Begin
Danny Danon
Moshe Ya'alon
Eli Yishai
Israel Katz
Limor Livnat
Avigdor Lieberman
David Rotem
Details of Achievements:
* Ze'ev Elkin and Aryeh Eldad - Establishing The Land of Israel Lobby
Established a lobby that is a tremendous power multiplier for the national
camp. three achievements of the lobby (a) include the Cave of the Patriarchs
and Rachel's Tomb among the Heritage Sites of the State of Israel, (b)
change the public discourse on the issue of freezing, not only avoiding the
freeze in Jerusalem but also construction in the West Bank in general and
opposing gestures that hurt "settlement, security and human rights of the
settlers "(c) significant pressure to change governmental attitudes towards
the outposts.
* Benny Begin and Moshe Ya'alon – changing the attitudes towards the
outposts
Via intensive work these two ministers achieved a shift in approach: from
the trend of demolition to willingness to authorize all that was built on
state land.
* Begin, Eli Yishai, Ya'alon and Lieberman – withstanding U.S. pressure
During the first phase of the American pressure, when it was decided to
freeze, these four senior ministers, members of the septet, did not stand up
to the pressure. But during the second phase, these four ministers of the
Group of Seven stood firm against unfair pressure, and America received a
negative response.
* Uri Ariel, Arden and Rotem – appointing independent judges to the Supreme
Court
For the first time, two independent judges were appointed to the Supreme
Court without the support of the Barak – Beinish bloc.
* Uri Ariel - Activities for the national interests of the Finance Committee
By creating a force multiplier and working with his committee. For example,
the budget for settlement activity and preventing funding for the freeze.
* Yuli Edelstein - launched a national advocacy kit
For the first time in a generation – an information system without
stuttering on national positions.
* Edelstein and Akunis - exposing the face of the Palestinian Authority
Yuli Edelstein: renewal of the government’s handling of PA incitement.
Ofir Akunis: addressing the issue of the Palestinian boycott of Israeli
products by using his powers as chairman of the Finance Committee
* Avigdor Lieberman - recognition Ariel College as a university
Despite the freeze, and despite pressure from the Israeli left and
international pressure.
* Israel Katz - momentum of development in Judea and Samaria
Roads in Samaria, Binyamin, and in Kiryat Arba
* Dannon, Orlev, Eldad, Elkin, Ariel, Ben-Ari – introducing the area
Danny Danon brought to Samaria thousands of people who were not there before
then. Zevulun Orlev, Aryeh Eldad, Zeev Elkin, Uri Ariel, Michael Ben Ari
initiated tours in Judea and Samaria for other MKs who were not aware of the
importance of these areas.
* Elkin, Ariel, Rotem, Michael Eitan – passage of the amnesty law
A purely national law - one that came to its conclusion with its enactment
in the current reporting period. Above are the main legislators who worked
to advance it during the report period.
Conclusions and summary
During the period examined in the report there has been an improvement in
the activities of all factions of the Knesset and the majority of Knesset
members, to promote national issues. The establishment of the Lobby for
Israel in the Knesset has multiplied the power and provided a framework for
working together and the first achievements. Even among members of the
Septet (senior ministers) cooperative work was initiated and yielded its
first achievements. There is still not a similar connection at the
government level.
A real legislative achievement is still missing as is the absence of a
parliamentary challenging of government activities via queries, and
discussions of the Knesset committees.
Yes there is a considerable lack of parliamentary and media activity
designed to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the
prevention of forced eviction of residents. For example, a law applying to
the IDF intended to prevent their use in the forced expulsion of settlers
rather than security missions. Nor has a decision to end the freeze been
advanced or passed.
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