THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Scientist Proves Einstein Theory Inexperience May Create Added Problems for Israel's Knesset By UZI BENZIMAN (Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.) JERUSALEM — In many ways, some indefinable, others more identifiable, the Knesset seems to have lost some of its prestige and dignity during its present term. The elections last year brought to Israel's Par- liament some 50 new mem- bers. One of the main objective causes has been the peace negotiations. Even though the peace process started with an impressive and dramatic scene in the Knes- set plenum (Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's speech) which brought the Israeli Parliament into the focus of world attention, the peace process was sub- sequently pursued behind closed doors, far from the public — and parliamen- tary — eye. The natural necessity for secrecy during the delicate negotiations prevented the Knesset and even its prestigious foreign affairs and defense committee, from being informed and updated about the various stages of the political talks between Egypt, Israel and the U.S. the Consequently, committee, which is the main parliamentary supervisory organ over the government's foreign policy, could not play a significant role in the issue which has preoccu- pied Israeli public opin- ion over the past year. Neither would the Knes- set plenum fulfill this func- tion; people knew that the real events were taking place on the Cabinet level alone. Another reason for the waning of the Knesset's prestige. was the gov- erment's failure, espe- cially during the early months, to fill the par- liamentary agenda with legislative activity. ' During its first year, the Ninth Knesset dealt with relatively unimportant bills, most of them aimed at establishing changes in existing fiscal laws. Only towards the end of the 1978 summer session did the government complete the drafting of a number of new bills (most of them origi- nally initiated by the prev- ious administration) and present them in the Knes- set. These bills will fill out the Knesset's winter session which commenced in No- vember, with a respectable mass of legislative business. Bid the main cause of the decrease in the Knes- set's dignity is its per- sonal comp9sition. For the first time in its his- tory, one of the present MKs has a criminal past, while another was pub- licly under suspicion of criminal activities. Charlie Biton, previously a "Black Panther" leader and now a Knesset member for the Communist Party, was convicted several times on criminal charges before he became a member of the Knesset. These charges had no connection with his pub- lic activity as one of the Black Panthers. Shmuel Flatto-Sharon es- tablished a precedent in parliamentary life through his successful campaign for Knesset election at a time when he was wanted by the French police on fraud charges. Flatto-Sharon has had a negative impact on par- liamentary life in a differ- ent way. As an MK he did virtually nothing. Biton and Shmuel Flatto-Sharon are ex- treme examples of a problematic situation concerning the composi- tion of the Ninth Knesset.- There are other more subtle problems which have a considerable im- pact on the Knesset's functioning and image. The major trouble is the lack of experience among most MKs in most of the parties. Some 50 MKs were elected for the first time and for some 30 others this is only their second term. Even the Speaker, Yit- zhak Shamir, is a relative Friday, December 72, 1918 31 junior MK with only one term — four years — of previous parliamentary ex- perience. The same inexperience prevails among his de- puties, who together com- prise the Knesset "Presidium." None of them has more than four years experience in the Knesset. Some are actually in their first year of service. The de- puty speakers are chosen according to party key. WASHINGTON — The National Science Founda- tion has announced that as- tronomers have discovered the first evidence of gravitational waves, thus confirming Albert Eins- tein's general theory of rela- tivity. Prof. Joseph H. Taylor of the University of Massa- chusetts monitored radio waves from a burned out star (pulsar) for four years. The pulsar he discovered in 1974 is the only one known to orbit another star. By monitoring the pul- The lack of parliamen- tary tradition is reflected in other aspects of Knes- set life: the whips of the two main parties are rela- tive newcomers, as are the leaders of the main caucuses. Due to the political up- sar's radio signals he was able to prove that gravitational waves exist, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein's theory but never found. Taylor's pulsar is lo- cated 15,000 light years (approximately 85,000 trill- ion miles) from earth. IBM Caricatures for your party SAM FIELD Call Typewriters SeleCtriC, 399-1320 $400 Add 'n Type 342-78• By 862-1300 HAPPY HANUKA To All Our Friends heaval of the elections and the establishment of the Likud coalition govern- ment, all the chairmen of the Knesset's 10 commit- tees are new. None has previous experience in con- ducting a parliamentary committee, and many are serving in the Knesset for the first time. The cumula- tive consequences of these weaknesses is an inevitable decline in Knesset proce- dures and tradition, and in deterioration in its prestige. BOB SEIGLE Forgetery By JUDAH RICHARDS STEVE SEIGLE SEIGLE FORD No man or Ms. can read it all, hear it all, understand it all, or remember it all, For the forgetery which unburdens the memory keeps the mind and heart from overflowing And makes room for newer portions of life's experience. Thus we select frequently with more impulse than plans the things we ingest of the wonderments of the world from the hand of man or God. Pontiac Trail at 8 Mile Rd. South Lyon - 437-1763 widenbaum creative jewelers Hanuka Savings at the Franklin Shopping Plaza In Time for Holiday Shopping 20% to 30% OFF ENTIRE INVENTORY • Diamonds • Dinner Rings • Pendants • Earrings • Watches • Gold Chains 'Designers and Craftsmen of Fine Jewelry Mon. thru Fri. 10-9; Sat. 10-7; Sun. 12-5 VISA Mastereberge 29173 Northwestern (127.6e) 356-2525 4 • 11 II vio ti z