11 November 2017, Israel – A 6-person delegation from the Philippine House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), led by Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr., met officials from Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) on 06 November 2017 at the Knesset in Jerusalem to study Israel’s electoral system.

The Knesset officials provided an overview of the Israeli election system especially on the functions of the HRET’s counterpart in the Knesset, the Central Elections Committee. The meeting also tackled strengthening inter-Parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and reviving the PH-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group in Congress. The HRET Delegation was composed of the following members: Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr.- Chair, Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, Rep. Jorge Almonte (PDP-Laban, Misamis Occidental), Rep. Jose Carlos Cari (Liberal, Leyte), Rep. Rodel Batocabe (Ako Bicol, Party-list) and Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol-Pascual (Kalinga, Party-list). The Knesset officials were Dean Livne, Legal Advisor to the Central Elections Committee and Mrs. Merav Ben-Ari, Member of Knesset (MK), Kulanu Party. - END

MK Merav Ben-Ari (second from right), Kulanu Party, makes a point on inter-Parliamentary cooperation in a meeting with the PH HRET delegation on 06 November 2017 at the Knesset, Jerusalem. PH Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial (fifth from left) is flanked by HRET Chair Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr., to his left, and, Rep. Jorge Almonte (PDP-Laban, Misamis Occidental), to his right.

Dean Livne, Legal Advisor to the Central Elections Committee (first from left),

discusses the Knesset elections with the HRET delegation.

 HRET Chair Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr. (center) presents

a token of appreciation to Ambassador Imperial during the dinner for the HRET

delegation at the Ambassador’s residence in Tel Aviv.