Shas MK Rabbi Yaakov Margi Named an ‘Outstanding Parliamentarian’

Shas MK Rabbi Yaakov Margi is one of the two best members of the Knesset on a wide range of issues relating to issues that affect the public, according to the Israel Democracy Institute – which has awarded him with the 2018 Outstanding Parliamentarian Award. Also presented with the award at a gala Knesset ceremony was MK Itzik Shmueli (Zionist Camp).

Rabbi Margi is chairperson of the Knesset Committee on Education, Culture and Sport, and supervises closely the executive branch on a variety of subjects, including parental payments to schools, discrimination against Ethiopian students and the reform of special education for children, the Institute said, adding that he “uses a variety of tools at his disposal to promote a range of important social issues, especially education.” Shmueli, it said, “dedicates his time to social issues – to integrating people with disabilities into employment in the public sector and to expand support for children with cancer, disabled people, Holocaust survivors and the elderly.”

Commenting on the award, Rabbi Margi said that he “found it comforting that an organization such as the Israel Democracy Institute has decided to honor me with this award.”

The Outstanding Parliamentarian Award is being awarded for the seventh time by the Israel Democracy Institute, with the aim of recognizing MKs’ diligent work and use of parliamentary tools. Each year, the award is given to two MKs – one from the opposition and one from the coalition. This is done by carrying out a quantitative analysis of parliamentary actions and a qualitative analysis carried out in a variety of means presented to the committee headed by Justice (Emeritus) Theodore Or. Serving with Or on the committee were Prof. Menachem Ben Sasson, Dr. Leah Ness, Prof. Gabriela Shalev and former ministers Galeb Majadele and Ophir Paz-Pines.