The approval Jan. 5 of the controversial electricity bill at the Knesset plenum was especially fierce, with coalition and opposition members trading accusations and shouts. Thus, the Knesset session had its embarrassing moments but also produced some pride over the wonders of Israeli democracy.
The newly approved law will enable houses built without permits to get on the grid and enjoy electricity and also to get connected to Israel’s water and sewage infrastructure. The idea behind it was to address a yearslong problem of tens of thousands of houses, mainly in Arab and Bedouin villages, built in Israel without prior building permits. Unable to produce permits, these houses were never connected to the official electric grid or were connected illegally in dangerous forms.
