https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ui=2&ik=1334de43e7&attid=0.12&permmsgid=msg-f:162924487822 4465459&th=169c3d95aab19e33&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=f_jtshzn3610 Platform Summary www.zehut.org.il The document in your hands is much more than a party platform. It is a Jewish vision and a message of national liberty of historic proportions. To perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty, Moshe Feiglin 03 23 Objectives The Economic Plan 05 31 The Structure of the Government Liberty and Internal and and its Reduction External Security 09 37 The Social Program Israel’s Security and Diplomatic Plan 17 2 Judaism, Culture and State 3 Objectives The Structure of the Government and its Objectives Reduction Zehut is an Israeli-Jewish party that advocates liberty and aspires to reform society The Social Program and the world out of loyalty to the God of Israel. The party will act to lead the State of Israel as a Jewish state and strive to achieve the following goals: Judaism, Culture and State } A Jewish State – A state that matures from Zionism of existence to Zionism of destiny; from survival mentality to the mentality and challenge of perfection of the The Economic Plan world. Liberty and } A Liberty State – A state that restores responsibility to the citizen and reduces Internal and its involvement in private lives to a minimum. The areas of state involvement External Security will be limited to the extent possible to the legal systems, security and national Israel’s Security infrastructures. and Diplomatic Plan } A State of Family and Community – A state that fortifies family values and encourages community. These are the foundation stones of society. } A State of Abundance – A state that maintains an open economy within the refining framework of the Jewish culture of kindness and mutual responsibility. } A Sovereign State – A state that actualizes and fortifies its sovereignty in all parts 2 of the Land of Israel under its control: first and foremost, Jerusalem and the 3 Temple Mount. A state that develops Jerusalem as a diplomatic and spiritual center for the Nation of Israel and for all humanity. } A State of Peace – A state that strives to end warfare and bloodshed by defeating its enemies. A state that works for the good of humanity and the world. 4 5 Objectives The Structure of the The Structure of the Government Government and its Reduction and its Reduction The Social Program A variety of modifications and reforms must be made in the structure of government in order to expand civil liberties on the one hand and to strengthen governance on Judaism, Culture the other. and State The Reduction of Government Ministries The Economic Plan The current structure of government is characterized by a cumbersome and wasteful Liberty and mechanism that makes it difficult to implement policy. Zehut proposes a limited Internal and External Security and efficient government structure in which only 11 ministers will serve, instead of the 29 serving today. In addition, this limited structure will significantly reduce the Israel’s Security and Diplomatic government’s financial expenses. Plan The structure of government that Zehut proposes includes the following ministries: The Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Jewry, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Resources and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and Housing. 4 5 Opposition to Excessive Legislation As part of the concept of civil liberty, Zehut views over-legislation as a negative phenomenon. Zehut intends to oppose laws that have no real need and to act to eliminate unnecessary laws. The Community Model Decisions on the nature of the public space must be in the hands of the communities, not the government. Zehut will promote a community model in which local authorities will be divided into small and homogeneous communities and will receive some of the powers currently reserved for the state or local authority. Among the many powers that will be passed on to the community are laws relating to the nature of Shabbat, noise laws, laws relating to art, landscape, stalls, fairs and street performances. The Legal System Since the constitutional revolution led by Aharon Barak, the principle of separation of powers has been violated, with the Supreme Court appropriating too many powers for itself. Zehut will act to create the following changes in order to reduce the court’s powers and restore the balance between the systems: } The court will not be able to intervene in questions of essence and in matters of a political nature. } If the High Court of Justice finds a flaw in a law enacted by the Knesset and deems it unacceptable, the Knesset will have to reauthorize the law. If it has done so, the High Court will not be able to nullify the law. 6 7 Zehut will act to eliminate unnecessary laws. } The Judicial Appointment Committee, in addition to the Minister of Justice, shall Objectives be composed only of members of Knesset who have been elected by the Knesset by secret ballot. The Structure of the Government and its 1 } The “right of standing” principle will be reinstated, and the use of the tools of Reduction reasonableness and active interpretation of the law will be restricted. The Social Program In addition, Zehut will make a series of amendments regarding the role of the Attorney General: Judaism, Culture and State } The role of the Attorney General and the position of Head of Prosecution (the State Attorney’s Office) will be split and will no longer be held by one person. The Economic Plan } The government may appoint an attorney to represent it in court, and may appoint and dismiss its legal advisor. Liberty and Internal and External Security } The tenure of the Attorney General will end upon the end of the government’s term of office. Israel’s Security and Diplomatic Plan } Elected officials will not be obliged to comply with the advice of their legal advisor. 1. The right of standing is a threshold condition required of a person to file a legal action, according to which the plaintiff is required to be the one who was harmed 6 by the wrongdoing for which the claim was filed. 7 8 9 Objectives The Social Program The Structure of the Government and its Reduction Education The Social Program The law in the State of Israel explicitly states that the Ministry of Education is responsible for educating our children. Zehut strongly opposes this concept and Judaism, Culture posits that those responsible for the child’s education are first and foremost the and State parents, who must determine the framework of the curriculum and the contents that the child will learn. The Economic Plan Unfortunately, although national expenditure on education is currently the highest in Israel, the results are bleak, as evidenced by comparative international tests. Liberty and World Schooling Achievements (2015) Budget of Government Ministries (2014) Internal and * In billions of shekels Singapore 1 Israel’s Education 86 Security Hong Kong 2 and security 66.1 Finland 5 health 27.9 Switzerland 7 Infrastructure Canada 9 18.2 Israel 39 Internal Security 14.9 Source: OECD Source: Budget Department - Treasury Ministry 8 Accordingly, Zehut proposes the voucher method, practiced in several places around 9 the world: a system that combines public funding and free competition, and most importantly, restores the responsibility for education to parents. As part of this method, parents who so wish will be able to directly receive from the Ministry of Education a voucher of monetary value that they can use in the school of their choice to fund their children’s studies. In correspondence to the current budget, the voucher would be NIS 3,000 a month per child. Adoption of the voucher system (parallel to the current system) will create a variety of independent schools that will compete for the parents’ vouchers, thus Zehut’s proposed voucher method will restore responsibility for education to parents. offering a curriculum adapted to the wishes of the parents and not to the will of the bureaucratic system. In addition, these schools will be able to offer very high salaries to teachers in order to attract the best, as is the case in high-tech, for example. Rehabilitation of Family Status The independence and strength of the family unit are the cornerstone of society as a whole. Zehut opposes the state’s intervention in the character of the family. The only area in which the state will have to intervene in family decisions is in the case of the disintegration of the family unit. However, the state should be a bridge between the sides and not make the situation worse. Some of the steps that Zehut offers in this regard are: 10 } Cancellation of the Tender Years Clause, in accordance with the 11 Zehut will formulate procedures according to which a well-founded suspicion of a false complaint will constitute grounds for opening a criminal investigation. Objectives The Structure of the Government and its recommendations of the Schnitt Committee. Reduction } Under the current law, most of the burden of child support (alimony) rests upon The Social Program the father. This law does not take sufficient account of the time that the children stay with the father or of the mother’s economic situation. Zehut believes that Judaism, Culture this law is unequal and irrelevant to today’s reality, and will act to correct it. and State } Examination of the laws and procedures of the Family Courts.