Ethics on the edge: outlier legislators, political crises, and sanctioning dynamics in the Israeli Knesset (1984–2024)

This study examines an overlooked aspect of legislative behaviour in Israel: the ethical conduct of Knesset members and the parliament’s responses to it. Drawing on 224 sanctioning decisions issued by the Ethics Committee between 1984 and 2024, it introduces an initial model distinguishing external factors – critical events, affective polarisation, and populist rhetoric – from internal factors, including outlier legislators, chairperson seniority, gender, and nationality. Findings show that outliers and political crises drive severe sanctions, whereas committees chaired by senior MKs and including women or Arab members impose more moderate measures. The study offers a framework for understanding ethics oversight beyond Israel.