Israel’s Knesset Members: A Comparative Study of an Undefined Job (Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics)

By: Susan Hattis Rolef

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Synopsis: Taking Members of the Israeli Knesset, MKs, as a case study, this book offers a comparative analysis of the role of Members of Parliament (MPs) in democracies around the world. Based on the author’s experience of working for the Knesset, this book questions the lack of a comprehensive job description not only for MKs, but also for similar roles in parliamentary democracies globally. The author finds that a serious perusal of materials dealing with the job’s various components – in the Israeli case, for example, basic laws, the Knesset Rules of Procedure, the Rules of Ethics for MKs, minutes of the Knesset Committees − present a complete picture of the MK’s job that only need be put in definition. Finding the job of MPs in general, and of MKs specifically, definable, this book argues that it ought to be defined considering the centrality of this role for a democracy’s functioning. This innovative book will not only prove useful for scholars of Israeli governance and legislation but will also be of interest to scholars of parliamentarism and comparative legislative politics in general.