What do former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, former Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, and MK Orli Levy-Abacsis have in common? All three will retire from the Knesset on November 15 with the same “adjustment grant” in the amount of NIS 270,000. The adaptation grant that the MPs arranged for themselves years ago does not refer to parliamentary achievements, success in passing laws or work in committees, but only to seniority.
Bennett, who entered the Knesset in 2013, was the head of a party, the minister of education, the minister of the economy and the minister of defense. Steinitz came to the Knesset in 1999 and was, among other things, Minister of Finance, Minister of Energy and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Levi Abacsis entered the Knesset in 2009 as a member of the Knesset of Israel Beitenu. In 2016, she was outraged that party chairman Avigdor Lieberman entered the coalition and this is where she parted ways with the party. In the first elections in 2019, she ran at the head of Gesher’s list and did not pass the threshold. In the second elections of the same year, Gesher, led by Ami Peretz, entered the Knesset on the labor list. In the third election, she already ran on the Labor list, Gesher and Meretz, but immediately after that she defected to the Netanyahu camp and was appointed Minister for Strengthening Community Relations, an unnecessary office that was immediately closed with the establishment of the Bennett government.
In the fourth election Shureina was on the Likud list. After the upcoming elections, she will pack her things and return home because the Likud primaries functionaries did not like her political zigzag.
The Knesset cushions the “exit to citizenship” of the MKs who will not enter the next Knesset with a generous retirement grant. The 5 veteran MKs who will retire – Bennett, Steinitz, Levi Abaksis, Tzachi Hanegbi and Tamar Zandberg (Maretz) – as well as Minister Omar Bar-Lev who is not a member of the Knesset They will receive the maximum adjustment grant, NIS 270,000, because they have served for more than seven years.
According to the rules established by the members of the Knesset themselves, each retiring MK is entitled to a retirement grant in the amount of a gross monthly salary (NIS 45,000) for each year of office up to a ceiling of six salaries. The adaptation grant is paid to retiring MKs starting from the second year of their office so that those who Less than a year are not eligible for this grant. Also, each Knesset member who retires receives an amount of NIS 4,800, which is spread over a year for newspapers and a telephone so that he can “maintain contact with the public”. MKs who entered the Knesset before 2009 and served continuously, including Steinitz, will receive this reimbursement every year for the rest of their lives.
About 30 Knesset members are retiring after the election, most of them will receive a smaller grant or none at all. Thus Keren Barak and Keti Shatrit (Likud) will each receive NIS 112,000 and Patin Mola (Likud) will receive NIS 67,000. Jida Rinavi Zoevi (Maretz) will receive NIS 22,000.
Recently, three MKs resigned from the Knesset (Amichai Shikli, Michal Shir, and Gadi Ybarkan) and were sworn in on Yom Tov Kalfon (Yimina), Michel Buskila (Tikva Hadasha) and Tali Ploskov (Likud). Ploskov and Michel Boskila are not eligible for the grant because they served for less than a year. In the Knesset for a year, following the resignation of the Minister of Religion Matan Kahana, he left the government, and returned to the Knesset on July 14, 2022. Therefore, he will be entitled to an adjustment grant of only about NIS 11,000 if he does not serve in the next Knesset. However, the three new MKs are eligible For a salary of NIS 45,000, an attached car, three parliamentary advisers and a budget for contacting the public. Ploskov is entitled to a salary of NIS 135,000 for salaries for three months of work during the election break, Calfon will receive NIS 180,000 and Buskila will receive NIS 160,000 during the time the Knesset is on break.
Yesterday, Eli Avidar (Israel Beitenu), who is running on an independent list, resigned from the Knesset. In his place, Sharon Rufa will come in again, who will serve during the election break and will receive a salary of NIS 45,000 a month.