The Question of Israel's Constitution - a collection of documents from the activities of the Constitution ...

The Question of Israel's Constitution - a collection of documents from the activities of the Constitution Committee of the Provisional State Council and the First Knesset

A collection of important documents, rare pamphlets and protocols from the activities of the Constitution Committee of the Provisional State Council, which continued its activities in the first Knesset.

Material from the period of the Provisional State Council

Among the items:

* A bundle of printed and handwritten pages, regarding the Knesset's decision to task the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to prepare the state constitution and submit it to the first Knesset, no later than in 18 months.

* Booklet 'Memorandum on a proposed constitution for Israel', by Leo Cohen. Duplicate print. 26 pp. Probably printed during the Provisional Council of State. This booklet is very rare, and is not found in libraries in Israel.

* Booklet 'Proposed Constitution, edited by Dr. Leo Cohen', by the State of Israel. "Translated and drafted into Hebrew by Dr. M. Zilberg". About twenty handwritten proofs and corrections. 15 pages written on one side. A very rare booklet, it is also not found in libraries in Israel.

* Dozens of invitations (signed) to the meetings of the Constitutional Committee, in the years 1948-1949, on behalf of the Provisional State Council.

* Notes to the Transitional Constitution. Typewritten.

* Comments to section 32 of the proposed constitution. Typewritten.

* The transitional constitution (third proposal). 23rd of Cheshvan 5709 - 11.25.48

* Collection of memos 1-13 by the scientific secretary Dr. Asher Vita, in the Constitution Committee [no date specified - probably from the beginning of the committee's activity]. Only two sheets are missing (10,12). Additional pages are attached to sheet 4. Based on these memos, the constitution committee worked.

In the first issue ("No. A" - the word 'Memorandum' is not mentioned) the title is 'List of constitutional questions', in the fourth section, it is written as follows:

"The legislative body: the problem of a single legislative body or two legislative bodies; election methods; the composition of the legislative body; internal organization of the legislative body; legal status and immunity of members of the legislative body; their rights and obligations; the roles of the legislative body; constitutional, political and administrative roles of budget review ; roles of a court in accusations against the head of state or members of the government; completion of relations between the legislative body and other constitutional organizations".

* Bundle of stapled pages: 'Prof. Sheki's comments to the proposals of Dr. [Asher] Vita'. 14 pages written on one side in duplicate.

* A detailed account of the Constitution Committee during the time of the Provisional State Council - the names of the members of the committee, the subjects of its work, and more are detailed. no date

Protocols from the committee meetings of the first Knesset

* Protocol from the meeting of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee – 21st of Shevat 5710 - 2.8.50. The agenda also includes a general discussion regarding the law on the age of marriage. 27 pp.

* Protocol from the meeting of the committee, 24th of Cheshvan 5710 - 12.14.49 - discussion on the Basic Constitution. The Prime Minister opens by saying: "I'm sorry that I won't be able to be present during the debate: today (in half an hour) we're moving the government to Jerusalem". And he added: "The government believes that we are still in the founding period of the state. The state was not established on May 14th; it is in the process of being established, also from an international political point of view, but also from a human point of view, a country with 700 thousand people, or a million, is not a sustainable country. We make up 7% of the people. It is not a country if only 7% of the people are in it, and if half of its territory is entirely desolate. We are standing at the laying of the foundations for the State of Israel". 6 p.

* Continued discussion on the Constitution. 11.23.49. 7 p.

* Protocol of the discussion on the Constitution. 24th of Cheshvan 5710 - 11.16.49. 8 p.

* Protocol of the 15th meeting of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. 16th of Tammuz 5709 - 7.13.49. Includes important words of Prime Minister Ben Gurion about the 'Constitution', which were spoken with emotion, seasoned with stories and anecdotes from his life. 7 p.

* Protocol of the 13th meeting of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, 2nd of Tammuz 5709 – 6.29.49. 13 p.

* Protocol of meeting 5, 18th of Iyar 5709 - 5.17.49. 6 p.

* Protocol of meeting 7. 16th of Iyar 5709 - 5.15.49. 3 p.

* Letter (original copy) to the Minister of Justice - the bill for the protection of the soldier. 11.21.49.

and many more items.

Good condition. Slight time stains on some pages. Crease marks on some pages. Filing holes on most pages.