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Netanyahu's 'Job Act' could win him Trump-like appointment powers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to have an American-type administration in which he and his associates decide who is appointed to key positions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Abir Sultan/Pool - RTX2UHUH
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It happened in the fall of 2002, soon after the Knesset decided to dissolve itself and hold new elections. Avraham Hirschson, then a Likud Knesset member, rushed to submit his “Job Act.”

It was nothing more than a power grab. By attempting to pass this significant law during the transition period between two governments, Hirschson was trying to ease the restrictions imposed on the appointment of new directors at government-owned agencies because of their political affiliation. By lifting existing restrictions, he would send a signal to Likud members that they could find a job with him if he received a high spot on the party’s new Knesset list.

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