The SHATIL-coordinated Forum to Abolish the Economic Arrangements Law managed to remove several harmful clauses from the law before it was passed last month. In total, 42 out of 90 clauses were removed from the undemocratic legislation.

Passed in 1985 as a one-time emergency measure, the Economic Arrangements Law enables the government to pass laws without Knesset debate.   Since its inception, the law has ballooned in size and been attached annually to the budget law. Similar to "emergency budget resolutions” in the U.S. Congress, the Arrangements Law limits and even overturns legislative decisions, and is frequently used to push through draconian cuts in social benefits that are supported by a majority of legislators.  The Forum, which represents 30 social justice organizations, has been working to abolish it since 2007.

This year’s original 378-page law contained many large and small legislative changes. Among those removed were a tax on produce and a proposed additional health fund for wealthy Israelis.  The unpopular proposed value added tax on fruits and vegetables was one of the central clauses dropped due to pressure from the agricultural sector, vendors and wide public recognition of the harm this would cause to the poor -- despite the Prime Minister and Finance Minister's vows to aggressively fight for it.

In another victory, a clause that would broaden the controversial welfare-to-work “Wisconsin Plan” program, which many consider unfair and detrimental to the unemployed and to the entire country, was also removed.

SHATIL's  Valeria Nahmod, who coordinates the Forum, summarized its accomplishments: "This year, we felt as if we were fighting a Tsunami. The 2009-2010 Arrangements Law was so gargantuan that at first we felt we couldn't cope. With time, we set goals and started to work. In the end, we influenced the law. Dozens of organizations were partners in this work."

Perhaps the biggest success of this year's campaign is the growing recognition by the Israeli public of the undemocratic and corrupt nature of the law, which bypasses the usual legislative checks and balances to ram through the governing party’s agenda.

"Both supporters of the Arrangements Law and those who oppose it now understand that the Law is unreasonable and causes much harm," said Nahmod. "Even Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and senior ministry officials admit that this year's process was replete with failures and met with profound public opposition. We hope they will draw the appropriate conclusions."