The movement congratulates the Supreme Court’s brave decision in cancelling the Tal law and restoring values of equality and mutual support in Israeli society.

Following the continued trend of capital market cuts, the Chairman of the economy committee, MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen, former Minister of finance MK Meir Shitrit and MK Prof. Arie Eldad, presented a new bill written in collaboration with the MQG to empose economic infamy to those committing bond cuts.

Adv. Eliad Shraga, MQG Chairman: “The bill is intended to deal with the situation in which the public has abandoned its future funds in the hands of a small group of tycoons, who invest the public’s savings in a variety of projects which are financial gambles. When these fail, the tycoons demand to make “cuts” or more precisely “steals” to those funds and return only a small portion of them to the public. There are countless transparent people in our society which nobody defends or hears their cries – none of us know who is running their pension money used as chips in the tycoon’s casino.”

To sign a petition supporting the economic infamy bill: http://www.atzuma.co.il/tisporot

The MQG petitioned the HC to suspend the approval of achievable housing criteria due to neglect of the most essential and relevant one in regards to a fair distribution of the general public’s burden – the maximization of earning capacity. In its petition the movement requests probation orders and interim orders be issued to the state, in order to suspend approving the criteria and conduct a deliberation so that the government will reach a resolution about implementing the Trachtenberg committee recommendations which were overlooked in this decision.

The movement requested the Attorney general to act against the early release from prison of former minister Shlomo Benizri following his blatant attack against the judicial system and the law, while presenting himself as a martyr. This is due to Mr. Benizri’s harsh claims in the media in which he personally attacked retired judge Edmond Levi and even insensitively compared himself to the formerly kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

The movement demands to promote full transparency in the pension-savings market. Every citizen, working and saving his whole life, is entitled to have complete information regarding management fees he is charged with, and all the options he has to save his pension funds, so that he will be able to age with dignity.

The MQG turned to the chairman of the Kadima party, MK Tzipi Livni, demanding to condemn all of the party members that have a blot on their character. The letter claims that recently it appears that of all people, MK Livni who declared a “different kind of politics” characterized by integrity and incorruptibility in public service, is gathering around her a fair amount of people with criminal background.

The movement addressed the Beit-Shemesh, Bene-Berak and Jerusalem municipalities demanding to act immediately and remove every ad that may discriminate, degrade and humiliate women in public places.

The movement turned to the Attorney general demanding he investigates the Appel-Sutnik affair. Following the publication in Haaretz magazine about ​​ Appel’s claims to alleged loans he made to Mr. Saul Sutnik, then a senior employee in the lottery, totaling 2.5 million NIS, and alleged attempts by Mr. Appel to promote the participation of the lottery in a tourism business venture, The movement turned to the Attorney general to investigate the issue.

The movement petitioned the administrative court claiming that tenor agreements made by Karmiel municipality and Ort chain to manage and operate educational institutions in the city should be cancelled.

In the heart of this petition the movement also points out to the municipality’s shaking off from its duty to guarantee optimal education to students in the city. In its petition, the movement wishes to end this intolerable situation, to restore the lost dignity of the rule of law, and to bring life to the concept according to which the administrative authority operates within the boundaries of the law and not above then.

The movement vehemently opposes the bill promoted by MK Miri Regev, enabling ministers to conduct a number of appointments without tenor for senior positions in their office in the beginning of their term. The public service is not the minister’s but the public’s and for the public – and this is how it should be conducted. Political appointments such as this are corrupt. Attempting to present them as an ideology is nothing but idealizing corruption.

Conclusions made by the centralization committee – according to the movement, the centralization committee has recognized properly the malfunctions in the Israeli market – but its solutions are partial and will not abolish the problem. The movement regrets that despite the words of the PM against monopolies, and the Minister of Finance’s position that cross-holdings are negative and damage the democracy, the committee did not see fit to conclude that holding real assets together with financial assets be forbidden.

The MQG addressed the antitrust commissioner to stop the selling of cement monopoly “Nesher” to the Livnat family. The movement claims that the cement monopoly should be split into several independent companies. In a time when the cost of living and especially housing costs weigh down the public, it is important that the commissioner will not hesitate to utilize his powers to prevent further centralization and damage to the Israeli market and public.

A special activity of the movement focuses on the struggle to implement values of proper administration in Arab local authorities. Included in the legal actions taken in February: Petitions to collect property tax debts from council members, estimated in tens of thousands of NIS.

The movement turns to the chairman of the Israel securities authority requesting to know what the authority’s policy is regarding the duty to report the amount of charges lying on the shares held by controlling shareholders in companies, and whether there are other companies apart from IDB that haven’t been forced to comply with this reporting duty.

*Due to public pressure and the movement’s request, the PM has decided to postpone the government discussion about extending the exempts to yeshiva members who choose to commit to their studies (Tal Law) – the law discriminated between equals, between the ones carrying the burden and the ones who are in fact exempt from carrying the burden. By this, the law creates a disagreeable atmosphere which damages the motivation to enlist to IDF and furthers the alienation between different parts of the public.

*Dead sea land – the persistence pays off: Following the movement's petition that was filed 8 years ago, the Attorney General reversed his predecessor’s, Meni Mazuz, decision, in the Dead Sea land affair – Moreover, The High Court accepted the movement’s claim and determined to review the validity of Israel's estate administration and the salt companies' agreement (in which the salt companies received a bonus of over 100 million NIS to re-zone lands) on a tight schedule.

*The right to protest – following a prolonged legal battle, the Finance Committee of the Tel-Aviv municipality decided not to charge the organizers of small rallies in Tel Aviv for the use of public area - this is a meaningful constitutional decision, in light of the basic and fundamental right, which is the right to freedom of expression and right to protest.

*Due to public pressure and the movement’s request, the Minister’s Committee unanimously rejected the bill for Basic Law: Judging (amendment – public petitioner) which states that the public petitioner can petition the HC only if restrictive conditions apply.

*The MQG and the IDC Herzliya’s “Purity Line” law clinic petitioned the HC to grant a conditional order and hold an urgent hearing regarding the lack of clear regulation concerning legal consulting for local municipalities. This, to change the existing reality in which local authorities appoint external legal advisors in an improper manner – without a tender, a democratic equitable procedure, or internal and external audit, whilst scandalously spending public funds.

*MQG’s response to the corruption measure: Israel “stars” as one of the highest in the  list; what a shame this is not the right list to excel in – with the publication of harsh results concerning the state of corruption in Israel within the international corruption measure, the movements calls for all MPs and ministers to vehemently oppose future bills that aim to silence corruption exposures and legitimate criticism.

*The movement addressed the municipality of Jerusalem to act immediately and remove every sign that discriminates, degrades and humiliates women in public places – Such posts offend, degrade and humiliate a man’s honor, in contrast to Basic Law: Human dignity and liberty, which is one of the cornerstones of Israeli law, and defends every man’s honor and prevents limiting a man’s freedom.

*The movement addressed the Minister of Internal Affairs to reexamine the change in the municipality taxes’ discount based on the income index, due to lack of proportionality in regard to different groups of the population, and out of responsibility to local authorities’ budgets.

*The movement petitioned the High Court against the Gronis amendment, which established a minimal term in office as a condition to a Supreme Court president appointment. In its petition, the movement requested a conditional order against the Knesset demanding it to explain why the amendment should not be cancelled, or alternatively that it should not apply in the upcoming president appointment, but only for the next one.

*In light of the centralization in the Israeli media market and the expected closure of Channel 10: the movement calls to establish a professional committee which will map out and regulate the media market. Due to the meaningfulness of an additional TV channel in Israel, the movement calls to wait with Channel 10’s closure until after the committee has submitted its conclusions.

*The movement demanded a training and licensing system be established to fundamentally change the way directors are appointed in banks and financial institutions. These days a banking bill is pending in the Knesset Finance Committee and the Ministry of Justice (Marani Law). According to the MQG, it is essential to seize the opportunity in the transition to banking void of control cores and the Marani legislation, and promote a new approach of managing and supervising in the financial system.

*The movement demands the Bank of Israel to discuss the dismantling of banking control cores, due to the failure of the existing structure which allows for the personal interests of controlling shareholders to take precedence over public interests. An unhealthy, inequitable and inefficient situation has formed; in it a few individuals control the biggest structures in the Israeli economy, and through them – the credit sources of the entire economy as well as the savings, deposits and investments of the public.

*The movement addressed the defense minister and Director General of Ministry of Defense, demanding to clarify payments made by the ministry to the McKinsey consulting firm, hired to assist the streamlining process in IDF.

*The movement requested the finance minister and interior minister to correct the deficiencies that were raised in the auditor’s report concerning the interior minister’s grant to local authorities.

*The movement appealed the court to appoint an internal auditor in Ma’alia, after for three years one has not been appointed, which is against the law and damages the audit process and the transparency of local authority.

*The movement requires not to allow the appointment of Aharon Fogel as Chairman of Partner while he is in term as Chairman of Migdal Insurance Company. Should Mr. Fogel be appointed, he will be under constant and significant conflict of interest, between the need to benefit investors in Migdal, and the need to act in favor of the Partner Company.

*The movement turned to the state comptroller to investigate the validity of publications according to which Rafi Eitan joined the official meetings of the President of Uganda with the Israeli PM and President of the State - in case it turns out that the reports are correct, the movement seeks to examine how a private businessman can summon himself to meetings with heads of state, allegedly to promote private business and without waiting to be invited by any official body.

The movement congratulates the Supreme Court’s brave decision in cancelling the Tal law and restoring values of equality and mutual support in Israeli society.

Following the continued trend of capital market cuts, the Chairman of the economy committee, MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen, former Minister of finance MK Meir Shitrit and MK Prof. Arie Eldad, presented a new bill written in collaboration with the MQG to empose economic infamy to those committing bond cuts.

Adv. Eliad Shraga, MQG Chairman: “The bill is intended to deal with the situation in which the public has abandoned its future funds in the hands of a small group of tycoons, who invest the public’s savings in a variety of projects which are financial gambles. When these fail, the tycoons demand to make “cuts” or more precisely “steals” to those funds and return only a small portion of them to the public. There are countless transparent people in our society which nobody defends or hears their cries – none of us know who is running their pension money used as chips in the tycoon’s casino.”

To sign a petition supporting the economic infamy bill: http://www.atzuma.co.il/tisporot

The MQG petitioned the HC to suspend the approval of achievable housing criteria due to neglect of the most essential and relevant one in regards to a fair distribution of the general public’s burden – the maximization of earning capacity. In its petition the movement requests probation orders and interim orders be issued to the state, in order to suspend approving the criteria and conduct a deliberation so that the government will reach a resolution about implementing the Trachtenberg committee recommendations which were overlooked in this decision.

The movement requested the Attorney general to act against the early release from prison of former minister Shlomo Benizri following his blatant attack against the judicial system and the law, while presenting himself as a martyr. This is due to Mr. Benizri’s harsh claims in the media in which he personally attacked retired judge Edmond Levi and even insensitively compared himself to the formerly kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

The movement demands to promote full transparency in the pension-savings market. Every citizen, working and saving his whole life, is entitled to have complete information regarding management fees he is charged with, and all the options he has to save his pension funds, so that he will be able to age with dignity.

The MQG turned to the chairman of the Kadima party, MK Tzipi Livni, demanding to condemn all of the party members that have a blot on their character. The letter claims that recently it appears that of all people, MK Livni who declared a “different kind of politics” characterized by integrity and incorruptibility in public service, is gathering around her a fair amount of people with criminal background.

The movement addressed the Beit-Shemesh, Bene-Berak and Jerusalem municipalities demanding to act immediately and remove every ad that may discriminate, degrade and humiliate women in public places.

The movement turned to the Attorney general demanding he investigates the Appel-Sutnik affair. Following the publication in Haaretz magazine about ​​ Appel’s claims to alleged loans he made to Mr. Saul Sutnik, then a senior employee in the lottery, totaling 2.5 million NIS, and alleged attempts by Mr. Appel to promote the participation of the lottery in a tourism business venture, The movement turned to the Attorney general to investigate the issue.

The movement petitioned the administrative court claiming that tenor agreements made by Karmiel municipality and Ort chain to manage and operate educational institutions in the city should be cancelled.

In the heart of this petition the movement also points out to the municipality’s shaking off from its duty to guarantee optimal education to students in the city. In its petition, the movement wishes to end this intolerable situation, to restore the lost dignity of the rule of law, and to bring life to the concept according to which the administrative authority operates within the boundaries of the law and not above then.

The movement vehemently opposes the bill promoted by MK Miri Regev, enabling ministers to conduct a number of appointments without tenor for senior positions in their office in the beginning of their term. The public service is not the minister’s but the public’s and for the public – and this is how it should be conducted. Political appointments such as this are corrupt. Attempting to present them as an ideology is nothing but idealizing corruption.

Conclusions made by the centralization committee – according to the movement, the centralization committee has recognized properly the malfunctions in the Israeli market – but its solutions are partial and will not abolish the problem. The movement regrets that despite the words of the PM against monopolies, and the Minister of Finance’s position that cross-holdings are negative and damage the democracy, the committee did not see fit to conclude that holding real assets together with financial assets be forbidden.

The MQG addressed the antitrust commissioner to stop the selling of cement monopoly “Nesher” to the Livnat family. The movement claims that the cement monopoly should be split into several independent companies. In a time when the cost of living and especially housing costs weigh down the public, it is important that the commissioner will not hesitate to utilize his powers to prevent further centralization and damage to the Israeli market and public.

A special activity of the movement focuses on the struggle to implement values of proper administration in Arab local authorities. Included in the legal actions taken in February: Petitions to collect property tax debts from council members, estimated in tens of thousands of NIS.

The movement turns to the chairman of the Israel securities authority requesting to know what the authority’s policy is regarding the duty to report the amount of charges lying on the shares held by controlling shareholders in companies, and whether there are other companies apart from IDB that haven’t been forced to comply with this reporting duty.

*Due to public pressure and the movement’s request, the PM has decided to postpone the government discussion about extending the exempts to yeshiva members who choose to commit to their studies (Tal Law) – the law discriminated between equals, between the ones carrying the burden and the ones who are in fact exempt from carrying the burden. By this, the law creates a disagreeable atmosphere which damages the motivation to enlist to IDF and furthers the alienation between different parts of the public.

*Dead sea land – the persistence pays off: Following the movement's petition that was filed 8 years ago, the Attorney General reversed his predecessor’s, Meni Mazuz, decision, in the Dead Sea land affair – Moreover, The High Court accepted the movement’s claim and determined to review the validity of Israel's estate administration and the salt companies' agreement (in which the salt companies received a bonus of over 100 million NIS to re-zone lands) on a tight schedule.

*The right to protest – following a prolonged legal battle, the Finance Committee of the Tel-Aviv municipality decided not to charge the organizers of small rallies in Tel Aviv for the use of public area - this is a meaningful constitutional decision, in light of the basic and fundamental right, which is the right to freedom of expression and right to protest.

*Due to public pressure and the movement’s request, the Minister’s Committee unanimously rejected the bill for Basic Law: Judging (amendment – public petitioner) which states that the public petitioner can petition the HC only if restrictive conditions apply.

*The MQG and the IDC Herzliya’s “Purity Line” law clinic petitioned the HC to grant a conditional order and hold an urgent hearing regarding the lack of clear regulation concerning legal consulting for local municipalities. This, to change the existing reality in which local authorities appoint external legal advisors in an improper manner – without a tender, a democratic equitable procedure, or internal and external audit, whilst scandalously spending public funds.

*MQG’s response to the corruption measure: Israel “stars” as one of the highest in the  list; what a shame this is not the right list to excel in – with the publication of harsh results concerning the state of corruption in Israel within the international corruption measure, the movements calls for all MPs and ministers to vehemently oppose future bills that aim to silence corruption exposures and legitimate criticism.

*The movement addressed the municipality of Jerusalem to act immediately and remove every sign that discriminates, degrades and humiliates women in public places – Such posts offend, degrade and humiliate a man’s honor, in contrast to Basic Law: Human dignity and liberty, which is one of the cornerstones of Israeli law, and defends every man’s honor and prevents limiting a man’s freedom.

*The movement addressed the Minister of Internal Affairs to reexamine the change in the municipality taxes’ discount based on the income index, due to lack of proportionality in regard to different groups of the population, and out of responsibility to local authorities’ budgets.

*The movement petitioned the High Court against the Gronis amendment, which established a minimal term in office as a condition to a Supreme Court president appointment. In its petition, the movement requested a conditional order against the Knesset demanding it to explain why the amendment should not be cancelled, or alternatively that it should not apply in the upcoming president appointment, but only for the next one.

*In light of the centralization in the Israeli media market and the expected closure of Channel 10: the movement calls to establish a professional committee which will map out and regulate the media market. Due to the meaningfulness of an additional TV channel in Israel, the movement calls to wait with Channel 10’s closure until after the committee has submitted its conclusions.

*The movement demanded a training and licensing system be established to fundamentally change the way directors are appointed in banks and financial institutions. These days a banking bill is pending in the Knesset Finance Committee and the Ministry of Justice (Marani Law). According to the MQG, it is essential to seize the opportunity in the transition to banking void of control cores and the Marani legislation, and promote a new approach of managing and supervising in the financial system.

*The movement demands the Bank of Israel to discuss the dismantling of banking control cores, due to the failure of the existing structure which allows for the personal interests of controlling shareholders to take precedence over public interests. An unhealthy, inequitable and inefficient situation has formed; in it a few individuals control the biggest structures in the Israeli economy, and through them – the credit sources of the entire economy as well as the savings, deposits and investments of the public.

*The movement addressed the defense minister and Director General of Ministry of Defense, demanding to clarify payments made by the ministry to the McKinsey consulting firm, hired to assist the streamlining process in IDF.

*The movement requested the finance minister and interior minister to correct the deficiencies that were raised in the auditor’s report concerning the interior minister’s grant to local authorities.

*The movement appealed the court to appoint an internal auditor in Ma’alia, after for three years one has not been appointed, which is against the law and damages the audit process and the transparency of local authority.

*The movement requires not to allow the appointment of Aharon Fogel as Chairman of Partner while he is in term as Chairman of Migdal Insurance Company. Should Mr. Fogel be appointed, he will be under constant and significant conflict of interest, between the need to benefit investors in Migdal, and the need to act in favor of the Partner Company.

*The movement turned to the state comptroller to investigate the validity of publications according to which Rafi Eitan joined the official meetings of the President of Uganda with the Israeli PM and President of the State - in case it turns out that the reports are correct, the movement seeks to examine how a private businessman can summon himself to meetings with heads of state, allegedly to promote private business and without waiting to be invited by any official body.