Knesset aides say unprepared MKs failing to oversee gov’t

A new poll of Knesset aides, the first of its kind, shows that a sweeping majority of Knesset aides think the Knesset is failing in its role of supervising the government.

According to the survey released by the Israel Democracy Institute, 92 percent of aides say they think MKs do not come prepared for Knesset committee meetings and 95% think the Knesset does not sufficiently oversee the work of the government.

Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni and MK Rachel Azaria vote at the Finance Committee, during a vote on the 2017-2018 state budget, at the Knesset on December 19, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Despite this, some 65% of aides say the MKs they themselves work with are investing the appropriate amount of time on meetings related to professional parliamentary matters, on party-related activities (57%), on public duties unrelated to parliamentary matters (67%) and media-related activities (55%).

Researchers surveyed aides to 40 of the 91 MKs who are not ministers or deputy ministers.

“The poll proves the problem is not just on the personal level or with regards to the public obligation of one MK or another,” says IDI President Yohanan Plesner in a statement. “As long as no parliamentary reform is implemented – decreasing the number of committees and increasing the Knesset’s professionalism – we will continue to be disappointed by the quality of its work.”