In the Knesset
Knesset 12
21.11.1988 - 13.7.1992
Knesset 13
13.7.1992 - 17.6.1996
Knesset 14
17.6.1996 - 7.6.1999
Knesset 15
7.6.1999 - 17.11.1999 (Partial tenure)
Knesset 17
17.4.2006 - 4.11.2008 (Partial tenure)
Knesset 12
Member, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Member, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee
Member, Immigration and Absorption Committee
Knesset 14
Member, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Member, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee
Member, Committee on the Status of Women
Knesset 17
Member, Examination Team for the Training of High-Ranking IDF Officers
Member, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Member, Internal Affairs and Environment Committee
Member, Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs
Member, Subcommittee for Internal Security
Knesset and Committee Activities
Knesset Terms
Committees
Parliamentary Groups
Knesset 12
Alignment, Israel Labor Party
Knesset 13
Israel Labor Party
Knesset 14
Israel Labor Party
Knesset 15
One Israel (2)
Knesset 17
Meretz-Yahad
Government Roles
Deputy Minister of Finance
Knesset 12
Govt. 23 - From December 26, 1988
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Knesset 13
Govt. 25 - From August 4, 1992 until July 17, 1995
Minister of Economics and Planning
Knesset 13
Govt. 25 - From July 18, 1995
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
Knesset 13
Govt. 26
Minister of Justice
Knesset 15
Govt. 28
Minister of Religious Affairs
Knesset 15
Govt. 28 - From October 11, 2000
Legislative Achievements
Basic Law: Government 2001
In 2001, along with Uzi Landau, Beilin initiated the change of Basic Law: The Government and proposed the abolishment of direct elections of the Prime Minister:
Direct elections had been instituted in Israel in 1996. The revision, overturned this 1992 law, and restored the 1968 system with some amendments.
Under the direct election law, the vote was split, with a separate ballot for the Knesset members and the Prime Minister. This system had failed to strengthen the office of the Prime Minister as was initially hoped and in fact, even weakened the larger parties.
The return to a parliamentary system meant that the Prime Minister will again be chosen by the largest bloc in the legislature.
Amendment 8 to Knesset Law 2000
Until 2000, the leader of the largest party not-within-the-coalition did not have an official position, but rather a symbolic role. Meetings between the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the largest party not-within-government would take place, but with no official status.
In 2000 two bills were submitted to the Knesset regarding amendments to the Leader of the Opposition's status. One was a 'Government bill' submitted by Dr Yossi Beilin and the other was a 'private members bill', submitted by MK Uzi Landau. Together they merged the bills and in July 2000, the Knesset approved Amendment 8 to Knesset Law:
The law essentially strengthens the status of Leader of the Opposition as an overseer to government activities. It prescribes his or hers ceremonial role in various official events and obliges the Prime Minister to update the leader on the current state of affairs once a month. In addition law stipulates that the Opposition Leader's salary will be determined by Knesset committee, and shall not be lower than a salary of a Cabinet minister.
Law for Negotiations with Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) 1993
In 1993 Beilin initiated a private bill, which came to pass without him as a signatory, wavering the prevention of negotiations with the PLO. This allowed for landmark negotiations such as Oslo to commence.