This document detailed the modus operandi of the government, once again placing major responsibility for foreign affairs and defense in the Inner Cabinet consisting of 12 members (of the 26 ministers), 6 from each party. The experience of the previous government was taken into account in the insertion of certain items dealing with motions to the agenda, inclusion of deputy ministers and Knesset committee chairmanship. Mr. Netanyahu was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister and Mr. Beilin Deputy Finance Minister. Text:
1. The Government
1.1 A National Unity Government (henceforth: the Government) will be formed, with the participation of the Alignment and Likud factions, and other factions which choose to join the coalition in accordance with this agreement.
1.2 The Government will be founded on the following principles:
a. Equality between the Alignment and the Likud in the number of ministries and ministers.
b. Should a minister cease to serve as a member of the Cabinet for any reason, his party will choose the minister who will replace him.
1.3 The Government and its ministers will act in accordance with the Basic Guidelines attached to this agreement, which are an integral part of it, and in accordance with Cabinet decisions. [See separate GPO translation of Basic Guidelines, issued 22.12.88.]
1.4 The Government will be headed by Mr. Yitzhak Shamir, and Mr. Shimon Peres will serve as vice premier.
1.5 Throughout the entire period of the Government's term in office, the prime minister will not wield his authority (under Section 21a of the Basic Law: The Government) to dismiss a minister from his post, except with the consent of the vice premier. Such consent will not be required, however, to dismiss a minister who belongs to the faction headed by the prime minister. The prime minister will wield this authority with regard to a minister belonging to the faction of the vice premier, should the latter request it.
1.6 Twenty-six ministers will serve in the Government.
a. It has been agreed that the number of ministries accorded in the Government to the Alignment will equal the number of ministries accorded in the Government to the Likud (including the prime minister's office). In addition, equality will be maintained between the two factions with regard to the number of ministers.
b. The division of ministries will be as follows:
The Likud
Office of the Prime Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Construction and Housing
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Ministry of Economics and Planning
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Tourism
The Alignment
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Education and Culture
Ministry of Communications
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Police
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
c. If a minister from a faction other than the Likud or the Alignment should cease to serve, the balance between the Likud and the Alignment with regard to the number of ministries and ministers will be maintained, as stipulated in subsection (a) above. In this case, the Government will appoint another minister within 15 days of the conclusion of the tenure of office, in such a way as to maintain the balance between the two factions, as stipulated by subsection (a).
1.7 In accordance with Section 5d of the Basic Law: The Government, the first deputy prime minister will be appointed from the Likud faction, and an additional deputy prime minister from the Alignment.
1.8 A permanent ministerial committee, called the Inner Cabinet, will be established. It will have 12 members, six from each party.
1.9 The Inner Cabinet is empowered to deliberate and decide on the following issues:
a. Issues within the jurisdiction of the ministerial defense committee under the Cabinet operation procedures. (The Inner Cabinet will also serve as the ministerial defence committee.)
b. The policy and defense issues incorporated in the Basic Guidelines.
c. Any issue, including those issues stipulated by the Basic Guidelines, which the prime minister or the vice premier seek to raise for deliberation and decision in the Inner Cabinet.
1.10a. The decisions of the Inner Cabinet will have the same force as decisions of the ministerial defense committee; but in Para. 41c of the Cabinet operational procedures, the consent of the vice premier will also be required, in addition to that of the prime minister.
In Para. 42 of the Cabinet operational procedures, the prime minister will be entitled to raise the issue for deliberation by the Cabinet only with the vice premier's consent.
b. Should disagreements arise, and the Inner Cabinet does not reach a decision on a certain issue, the matter will not be brought before the Cabinet without the joint agreement of the prime minister and the vice premier.
c. Should an issue be raised for deliberation in the Cabinet, and the prime minister or the vice premier determine that it is to be discussed in the Inner Cabinet, the issue will be discussed in the Inner Cabinet.
1.11 A ministerial committee for economic affairs will be established, to be chaired by the finance minister. His deputy will be a Likud representative.
1.12 A committee in which each faction (the Likud and the Alignment) has equal representation will be established to took into changing the government system, the electoral system, and amending the election laws. The committee will be chaired by an Alignment representative. Changes in the governmental and electoral systems, as well as in the election laws, will not be carried out without the consent of the two parties. Should the two parties not reach an agreement within a year, each party will be entitled to initiate legislation in the Knesset as it sees fit.
1.13 The agenda of the Cabinet meeting will be determined by the prime minister. Should the vice premier wish to discuss an especially important issue in the Cabinet, the prime minister will raise the issue for deliberation within 21 days of the submission of the request.
1.14 A deputy minister from the Likud will serve in the Defense Ministry. 1. 15 A deputy minister from the Likud will serve in the Finance Ministry.
1.16 A deputy minister from the Alignment will serve in the Foreign Ministry.
1.17 Manning of the posts of deputy ministers will be made with the agreement of the relevant ministers. Definition of the issues to be handled by them will be determined by each said minister, after consultations with the relevant deputy minister.
1.18 The appointments mentioned in sections 1.14-1.16 will be carried out in accordance with a timetable to be agreed upon by the two parties.
1.19a. A Knesset member from the Alignment faction will serve as chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, and a Knesset member from the Likud faction will serve as deputy chairman. Should be the deputy chairman wish to raise a motion for the agenda in accordance with Para. 103 of the Knesset procedures, the issue will be discussed within 14 days of the submission of the request.
b. A Knesset member from the Likud faction will serve as chairman of the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, and a Knesset member from the Alignment faction will serve as deputy chairman. Should the depuiy chairman wish to raise a motion for the agenda in accordance with Para. 103 of the Knesset procedures, the issue will be discussed within 14 days of the submission of the request.
1.20 The principle of continuity in Cabinet decisions will be maintained.
1.21 The Cabinet operational procedures will be amended in order to adapt them to the provisions of this agreement. The amendments will serve as temporary provisions.
Until the procedures are amended as stated above, the Cabinet will decide to consider what is stipulated in this agreement's provisions - insofar as they pertain to its manner of operation, its deliberations and the way decisions are reached - as binding on these issues, even if the procedures specify otherwise.
1.22 Should the Knesset pass a vote of no-confidence against the Government, no other government will be established in its stead. Within seven days of the no-confidence vote, the two parties will submit a bill for dissolving the Knesset and for holding new elections no later than 100 days from the day on which the bill is approved by the Knesset.
The two parties will act to ensure a majority to approve this bill and its accompanying bills within 30 days of the day in which the bill is raised in the Knesset. They will act to firmly base this provision in the appropriate legislation.
2. The Knesset
Coalition members of the Knesset will act in accordance with the coalition procedures, as follows:
The Coalition Executive
2.1 The Coalition Executive will not reach a decision on any issue brought before the Knesset or one of its committees, if either of the two factions (Alignment or Likud) objects.
2.2 The Coalition Executive will comprise six members from the Likud faction and six members from the Alignment faction, as well as one representative from every other faction participating in the coalition. In the first two years, the Coalition Executive will be chaired by a Likud representative, and an Alignment representative will be his deputy. In the ensuing two years, an Alignment representative will serve as chairman, and a Likud representative will serve as his deputy.
The conclusions reached at Coalition Executive meetings will be recorded. The Coalition Executive chairman will convey the conclusions to the coalition faction heads.
2.3 Motions to the Agenda and Private Bills
a. A member of the coalition who wishes to submit a motion to the agenda will first submit it to the Coalition Executive chairman. The chairman will clarify the position of the relevant minister. If neither the chairman nor the minister objects to the motion, it will be submitted to the Knesset speaker.
b. A member of the coalition who wishes to submit a private bill will first submit it to the Coalition Executive for deliberation. The Coalition Executive will convey the bill to the Cabinet, which will state its position within a month.
Should the Cabinet not state its position within a month, the bill will be submitted to the Knesset speaker. Should the Cabinet declare its opposition to the bill, a Cabinet representative will be summoned to a discussion by the Coalition Executive, which will decide on the matter.
c. Members of the coalition factions will vote on motions to the agenda, whether regular or urgent, and on private bills, in accordance with the decision of the Coalition Executive, or with the statement of the minister replying, should the Coalition Executive not manage to discuss them.
2.4 Amending or Altering a Section of a Law in Committee
a. A member of the coalition who wishes to amend or alter a section of a bill will notify the committee chairman, or the coalition coordinator of the committee if its chairman is not a coalition member. The chairman or coordinator must delay the vote on the section in question. The committee's coalition members will be meet to decide on the proposal after the committee meeting is concluded. If the issue under discussion is a section of special importance, the faction of the member proposing to amend or alter the section of the law is entitled to demand that the matter be decided by the Coalition Executive, with the participation of the relevant minister.
b. Members of the coalition must vote in favor of bills submitted by the Cabinet, and are prohibited from abstaining from voting on any of the three readings of bills submitted to the Knesset by the Cabinet.
c. On issues on which the coalition factions have been granted a free vote or the right to abstain, under the Transition Law (Amendment) of 1961, the Coalition Executive will conduct a dialogue concerning the matter if any one of its factions so
demands.
2.5a. On the issues enumerated below, action will be taken as follows:
1. A bill for a Basic Law submitted by a Knesset member will be regarded as a private bill.
2. Basic Laws proposed by the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset will be acted upon with the consent of both parties.
b. The right to abstain on issues of conscience or religious conscience will be upheld after clarification in the Cabinet or the Coalition Executive, except for issues concerning the preservation of the religious status quo.
3. General
3.1 The inclusion of additional factions in the coalition, and/or the inclusion of their representatives in the Government after it has been approved by the Knesset, will be carried out jointly and with the consent of the parties to this agreement.
3.2 The preservation of the status quo on religious matters will be ensured, and the right to submit private bills on religious matters will be upheld. The date for raising these bills, if submitted, for debate in the Knesset, and the manner of voting on them, will be determined in consultations between the prime minister and vice premier.
3.3 The real level of funding for state and state-religious education, schools, institutions of higher learning, various yeshivas, Torah institutions and educational and cultural institutions will be maintained, and discrimination against any one of the streams of education will be prevented.
If a budget cut is made, it will be proportional.
3.4 A suitable allocation will be guaranteed to settlement movements and youth movements.
3.5 The financial commitments made by the Likud to other factions have been brought to the attention of the Alignment, and a decision concerning their fulfillment will be made in accordance with economic ability, as well as in accordance with the approved form of the state budget.
3.6 An agreement between a party to this agreement and any other faction will not be binding on the other party to this agreement.
In witness whereof the parties hereby affix their signatures.