Israeli Lawmakers Emulating American Colleagues: Record Number for No-Re-election Bid

It appears to be a case of close allies emulating each other. As the list of lawmakers not seeking re-election in Washington grows, Israel’s parliamentarians have set a record with word of the 20th resignation out of a parliament of 120 seats. To date, some 50 members of the House of Representatives – 16 Democrats and 34 Republicans – have signaled an end to their tenure on Capitol Hill. In Jerusalem, where the single-house parliament has 120 (compared to America’s 435) members, a similar percentage has already decided to call it quits. The list of those vacating each nation’s governing body includes a number whose personal improprieties forced the lawmaker to resign, while others cite the vague political mantra about family imperatives. In the Israeli case, two longstanding corruption investigations against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are coming to a head as police recommendations on indictments are due within days. Because so many believe that the chance no indictment will be issued is remote, Netanyahu’s traditional rivals are re-assessing their chances of victory in the race for a successor.