Likud said advancing bill to raise salaries of PM, lawmakers and lower judges’ pay

Likud lawmakers are advancing a bill that would effectively raise the salaries of Knesset members and the prime minister while lowering the salaries of judges, Channel 12 reports.

The report of the bill comes weeks after Knesset lawmakers’ salaries rose when they opted not to extend a three-year freeze on their own pay.

Now, the network reports, Likud MKs are pushing legislation whose stated goal is to align salaries across Israel’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, but whose effect would be to raise lawmakers’ and ministers’ salaries while lowering judges’ salaries.

The bill, which would form a committee to handle the matter, would also remove certain benefits from judges, including some conferred by seniority, Channel 12 reports.

The reported bill comes amid a long string of efforts by the coalition to weaken Israel’s court system, including via its sweeping judicial overhaul.

Currently, according to Ynet, the prime minister makes NIS 61,491 per month (translating to an annual salary of roughly $238,000). President Isaac Herzog makes NIS 71,082 per month (roughly $275,000 annually). High Court President Isaac Amit makes a base monthly salary of NIS 58,641 (roughly $227,000 annually), though Calcalist reported that his total compensation, taking benefits into account, is closer to NIS 120,000 per month (some $464,500 per year).