Knesset members were once revered by the public. Once upon a time, young Israelis held their lawmakers in such high regard they would collect their autographs. But today's lawmakers are a far cry from their awe-inspiring predecessors. If anything, the Knesset's status has been steadily eroded, reaching a new low in the current crop of MKs, courtesy of Likud MK Oren Hazan and now departing Habayit Hayehudi MK Yinon Magal. The comparison, however, stops there, as the two are nothing alike, neither in the nature of their misconduct nor in their willingness to accept responsibility for their actions. Magal's decision to resign his Knesset seat over allegations of sexual harassment indicates he still has some ethics, and he should be credited for that. The same cannot be said of Hazan. However, it seems that existing codes have limited the Knesset's ability to act, effectively leaving the majority of MKs powerless where Hazan is concerned. Law professor Aviad Hacohen suggested introducing a new procedure that would allow Knesset members to expel a disgraced MK from their midst with a special majority vote of 90 or 100 MKs, providing the Supreme Court backs the move. This, of course, would not apply to MKs expressing distasteful political opinions, nor would it replace potential police investigations into criminal matters. This would not be an easy suggestion to implement, as it could be easily exploited by conspiring individuals and political con artists. It would also gnaw at the protection MKs have in their parliamentary immunity. But it may be the only way the majority in the Knesset can rid itself of those who are unworthy of a seat. Hacohen said his measure could not be used against Joint Arab List MK Hanin Zoabi, as the scandals in which she is involved are political and may be subjected to criminal investigation. The kind of conduct unbecoming attributed to Hazan, however, would fall under the measure's purview. Western politics often uses the phrase "this is simply not done," to describe undesirable conduct by a politician. Hacohen hopes to introduce this concept to the political reality in Israel. While it is unclear whether this can be done, it is clear that the problem has to be dealt with, and now -- before the next scandal erupts.
