Panel okays bill raising ministers’ ‘turpitude’ time to 14 years

Ministerial Committee for Legislation approves measure increasing waiting period for convicts who wish to join the cabinet

By Lazar Berman

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1 December 2014, 4:59 pm

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Shas party leader Aryeh Deri outside the emergency room at the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem. (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Ministers convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude will not be allowed to return to office for 14 years, instead of the current seven, according to a bill approved Sunday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

The measure, introduced by Labor MK Moshe Mizrahi, passed by a 4-3 vote, according to the Haaretz daily, and will now enjoy the support of the government.

The bill would alter the 2001 Basic Law: The Government, which states: “If a person was convicted of an offense and sentenced to prison and if seven years have not yet passed since the day on which he finished serving his period of punishment, or since the handing down of his sentence – whichever was later – he shall not be appointed Minister, unless the Chairman of the Central Election Committee states that the circumstances of the offense do not involve moral turpitude.”

Shas chief Aryeh Deri, who completed his sentence and the seven-year waiting period, will not be affected, nor will others who have already served their time.