Knesset Speaker freezes plan to have MKs fly business class
The plan could cost Israeli taxpayers an estimated several hundred thousand shekels per year.
By Jonathan Lis Tags: Knesset Israel newsKnesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin anounced on Tuesday that he would freeze new regulations that would upgrade Knesset members' flights to business class for visits abroad, after public outrage about the plan.
If approved, the regulations, instituted by Knesset Director-General Dan Landau, would cost Israeli taxpayers an estimated several hundred thousand shekels.
Rivlin asked MK Yariv Levin (Likud)of the Knesset Ethics Committee, MK Haim Oron (New Movement-Meretz chairman), MK Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) and MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) to revaluate the regulations and hand him their recommendations.
On Monday, the Knesset Speaker said in an interview on Army Radio that "a Knesset member does not need to beg and plead in order to get an upgrade."
Rivlin defended the decision to upgrade MKs for foreign travel by saying that they often have business and diplomatic meetings abroad for which they need to be alert right after arrival.
"Knesset members attend discussions that require great alertness," said Rivlin. "Just now, a delegation left for talks in the U.S., and they were meant to attend meetings the minute they landed. The same thing happens with flights to Europe. Last week Knesset members had to participate in a symposium in Poland just after they landed."
The new regulations improve travel conditions for Knesset members, who until now could only get an upgrade for flights longer than six hours, including those to the U.S. and the Far East.
Dozens of Knesset delegations travel abroad every year, with 36 having been dispatched in 2009, mostly to nearby destinations such as Turkey and Europe. The Knesset travel budget for 2010 is NIS 2.2 million.
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... are really founded on ego and what the well-heeled thinks it is worth. Everyone gets to the destination at the same time. What is a little more leg room and free martinis worth? Some well-off dude might say, "$500", others simply have to have it at any price. To the airline, giving some stuffed shirt about $10 worth of food and drink for $500 is a no brainer. I feel that biz class travel, provided it is on real biz, is a justifiable perk for MK and higher. The tax payer should relax a bit. I once had the pleasure of sitting next to Senator Wm Proxmire on a flight from Washington. We were flying coach, and I was a bit surprised. But Proxmire made a career of sorts in exposing wasteful spending, so that was understandable.
Memberss of the cabinet and the most senior members of the opposition based on a numbers system. A certain number of individuals from opposition based on a list of say the first 5 most senior members of opposition can travel business after that its economy. You can argue that its harder to get anything done not just because of the comfort aspect but also if your sitting in economy with hundreds of others who are walking past you all the time you will be noticed that makes you famous & will stand out in the crowd. If your just an ordinary MK who is not a senior opposition member or cabinet minister then you should of course travel economy. For MKS on things like business exhibitions where you need a large staff then all staff members must go economy but the minister can go business Lets work out special pricing plans with ELAL maybe we can even work out some diplomatic version of air mile collection which the government can use to sometimes pay for upgrades.