President of the State Amendment

## Status

A President shall stand as the head of the State.

## Place of Residence

The place of residence of the President of the State shall be Jerusalem.

## Elections and Period of Tenure

a. The President of the State shall be elected by the People for six Months. b. The President will serve for only one term, in a row. This does not Include anyone who may Serve right before an Election as Acting and Interim President.

## Eligibility

Every Israeli citizen who is a resident of Israel is qualified to be a candidate for the office of President of the State.

## Date of Election

The election of the President of the State shall be held not earlier than 14 days and not later than 7 days before the expiration of the period of tenure of the President in office. If the place of the President of the State falls vacant before the expiration of their period of tenure, the election shall be held within 10 days from the day on which such place falls vacant. The Chairman of the Knesset, in consultation with the Vice-Chairmen, shall fix the day of the election and shall notify it to all the members of the Knesset in writing at least one week in advance.

## Proposal of Candidates

a. A proposal of a candidate for President of the State shall be submitted in writing to the Central Elections Committee, together with the consent of the candidate in writing, 10-14 days before the day of the election;

b. The Chairman of the Knesset shall notify all the members of the Knesset, in writing, not later than 3 days before the day of the election, of every candidate proposed, and shall announce the candidates to the Public 1-2 days before the Election.

## Voting

The election of the President of the State shall be by secret ballot by the Public, Similarly to the Knesset Elections.

## Election by Majority of Votes

If there are two candidates or more, the candidate who has received the votes of a Clear majority of the Public is elected. If no candidate receives such a clear majority, a second ballot shall be held. At the second ballot only the two candidates who received the largest number of votes at the first ballot shall stand for election. The candidate who at the second ballot receives a clear majority of the votes of the Public who take part in the voting and vote for one of the candidates is elected. If two candidates receive the same number of votes, voting shall be repeated.

## Declaration of Allegiance

The President-Elect shall make and sign before the Knesset the following declaration of allegiance:

"I pledge myself to bear allegiance to the Union of Israeli Socialist Republics and to its laws and faithfully carry out my functions as President of the State.".

## Making of Declaration and Commencement of the Period of Tenure

a. The President-Elect shall make their declaration of allegiance upon the expiration of the period of tenure of the preceding President of the State or as soon as possible beforehand, and shall begin to hold office upon the expiration of the period of tenure of the preceding President of the State.

b. If the place of the preceding President of the State falls vacant before the expiration of their period of tenure, the President-Elect shall make their declaration of allegiance as soon as possible after their election and shall begin to hold office upon making their declaration of allegiance.

## Functions and Powers

a. The President of the State -

1. shall sign every Law, other than a Law relating to their powers;
2. shall carry out the functions assigned to them by The Laws of the Government;
3. shall receive from the Government a report on its meetings;
4. shall accredit the diplomatic representatives of the State, shall receive the credentials of diplomatic representatives sent to Israel by foreign states, shall empower the consular representatives of the State and shall confirm the appointments of consular representatives sent to Israel by foreign states;
5. shall sign such conventions with foreign states as have been ratified by the Knesset;
6. shall carry out every function assigned to them by Law in connection with the appointment and removal from office of judges and other office-holder's.
7. shall Work with Political Leaders to Protect the Israeli Democracy from anyone who may try to Topple it.
8. shall help out in the Formation of a New Government.
9. may not be a member of any Political party, but may be affiliated to a Political Party.
10. may be a Knesset Member and vote on Knesset Votes, but not have any other Roles in the Knesset nor the Government.

b. The President of the State shall have power to pardon offenders and to lighten penalties by the reduction or commutation thereof, but those Pardons must be Approved by a Majority of Over 50% of the Supreme Court Judges.

c. The President of the State shall carry out every other function and have every other power assigned to them by Law.

## Counter-Signature

The signature of the President of State on an official document, other than a document connected with the formation of a Government or the dissolution of a Knesset, shall require the countersignature of the Prime Minister or of such other Minister as the Government may decide.

## Immunity with Regard to Discharge of Functions

a. The President of the State shall not be amenable to any court or tribunal, and shall be immune from any legal act, in respect of anything connected with their functions or powers.

b. The President of the State shall not, in giving evidence, have to disclose anything which came to their knowledge in the discharge of their functions as President of the State.

c. The immunity of the President of the State under this section shall continue after they have ceased to be President of the State.

## Immunity from Criminal Proceedings

a. The President of the State shall not be criminally prosecuted. The period during which, by virtue of this section, the President of the State cannot be prosecuted for an offence shall not be counted in calculating the period of prescription of that offence.

b. The Only Criminal prosecution of the President may be infront of the Supreme Court, in case the President of the State has stated to act against or has acted against Israeli Democracy, or Against the Israeli People.

## Evidence

If the President of the State is required to give evidence, his evidence shall be taken at such place and time as shall be determined with their sanction.

## Salary and other Payments

The salary of the President of the State, and other payments to be made to them during their period of tenure, shall be fixed by resolution of the Knesset, which may empower the Finance Committee in that behalf. Resolutions under this section shall be published in “Reshumot”.

## President to hold no other Office

a. Save with the sanction of the Knesset Committee of the Knesset, the President of the State shall not hold any post, or exercise any function, other than the post and functions of President of the State.

b. The President of the State shall be exempt from all compulsory service.

c. The President may be a Knesset Member and vote on Knesset Votes, but no more than that.

d. The President may be an ISR Leader, but not the President of the Republics Council.

## Departure for Abroad

The President of the State shall not leave the territory of the State save with the sanction of the Government, and only if has been allowed passages to go abroad by the Prime Minister and the Government.

## Resignation

The President of the State is permitted to resign by submitting a resignation letter to the Speaker of the Knesset; the resignation letter does not require a signature of certification; the position of the President of the State shall be vacated once the resignation letter reaches the Speaker of the Knesset.

## Removal of President from Office

a. The Knesset may, by resolution, remove the President of the State from office if it finds that they are unworthy of their office owing to conduct unbecoming their status as President of the State.

b. The Knesset shall not remove the President of the State from office, save following a complaint brought before the Knesset Committee by at least twenty members of the Knesset and upon the proposal of the Knesset Committee passed by a three-quarters (75%) majority of the members of the Committee. A resolution by the Knesset to remove the President from office shall require a Majority of 75 Members of the Knesset.

c. The Knesset Committee shall not propose the removal of the President of the State from office before they have been given an opportunity to refute the complaint in accordance with procedure prescribed by the Committee with the approval of the Knesset, and the Knesset shall not resolve to remove the President of the State from office before the President has been given an opportunity to be heard in accordance with procedure prescribed by the Knesset Committee with the approval of the Knesset.

d. The President of the State may be represented before the Knesset Committee and before the Knesset by an authorized representative. A member of the Knesset shall not act as the representative of the President. The Knesset Committee and the Knesset may summon the President of the State to be present at proceedings under this section.

e. Proceedings of the Knesset under this section shall be taken at a meeting, or successive meetings, assigned solely for that purpose. The proceedings shall begin not later than 10 days after the resolution of the Knesset Committee. The time of their beginning shall be notified by the Chairman of the Knesset to all the members of the Knesset, in writing, at least 5 days in advance. If the beginning of the proceedings does not fall in one of the session terms of the Knesset, the Chairman of the Knesset shall convene the Knesset for the proceedings.

## Vacation of Post for Reasons of Health

a. The Knesset may, by resolution passed by a majority of its members, declare that for reasons of health the President of the State is permanently unable to carry out their functions.

b. The Knesset shall not pass a resolution as aforesaid save upon the proposal of the Knesset Committee passed by a two-thirds (66%) majority of its members on the strength of a medical opinion given in accordance with rules prescribed by the Committee.

c. If the Knesset resolves as aforesaid, the place of the President of the State shall become vacant on the day of the resolution.

## Temporary cessation of exercise of office

a. The President of the State shall temporarily cease to carry out their functions and exercise their powers –

1. if they leave the territory of the State - from the time of their leaving until their return;
2. if they notify the Kneeset Committee that the President is temporarily unable to carry out their functions and the Knesset Committee approves their notification by a majority of votes – from the time of the approval of the notification until the expiration of the period fixed by the Committee in its resolution or until the President of the State notifies the Knesset Committee that they are no longer unable to carry out their functions, whichever is the earlier date;
3. if the Knesset Committee, by a two-thirds (66%) majority of its members, on the strength of a medical opinion given in accordance with rules prescribed by the Committee, resolves that for reasons of health the President of the State is temporarily unable to carry out their functions – from the passing of the resolution until the expiration of the period fixed by the Knesset Committee in the resolution or until the Knesset Committee resolves that the President is no longer unable to carry out Their functions.

b. The Knesset Committee shall not, under subsection (a)(2) or (3), fix a period exceeding 1.5 months. It may extend the period, without a break, up to a maximum of 1 additional month. Any further extension shall require a resolution of the Knesset passed by a majority of the members of the Knesset upon the proposal of the Knesset Committee.

## Interim President and Acting President

a. If the place of the President of the State has fallen vacant, and so long as the new President has not yet begun to hold office, the Chairman of the Knesset shall hold office as Interim President of the State.

b. During a period in which the President of the State has temporarily ceased to carry out their functions and exercise their powers, the Chairman of the Knesset shall hold office as Acting President of the State.

c. While holding office as Interim President of the State or Acting President of the State, the Chairman of the Knesset shall carry out the functions assigned to the President of the State by Law and shall exercise the powers vested in the President of the State by Law.

## Notices in Reshumot

a. The Chairman of the Knesset shall publish a notice in “Reshumot” as to -

1. the commencement of the tenure of the President of the State;
2. the vacancy of the place of the President of the State;
3. the commencement and termination of the tenure of the Chairman of the Knesset as Acting President of the State under section 22(a)(2) and (3).

b. The Prime Minister shall publish a notice in “Reshumot” as to the President's leaving the territory of the State and as to their return.

## Law not to be Affected by Emergency Resolutions

Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, this Law cannot be varied, suspended, or made subject to conditions, by emergency regulations.