The Jerusalem Magistrates court noted that Hazan had violated the public’s trust of the Knesset and left a negative impact on the work of Israel’s legislative body.
Hazan was caught voting in place of Likud MK Inbal Gavrieli in addition to casting his own vote during the final readings of the 2003 State Budget. He first voted from his own electronic voting panel, and then leaned over to vote from the absent Gavrieli’s device.
Hazan argued that the double vote was a misunderstanding caused by faulty voting devices.
Further aggravating the situation, Hazan was caught on security camera removing the voting equipment that could have been used against him in court from a Knesset storage room in November 2005.
Initially, Hazan denied taking the voting panels, but changed his testimony after learning that he was caught on security camera lifting the equipment from a storeroom.
In court, Hazan claimed that he only took the voting panels—with the permission of Knesset secretary Dov Lev—and maintained he did not touch the electronic computers used in the equipment, for which he would have required a special permit.
A Knesset spokesman confirmed that Lev granted permission for Hazan to enter the storeroom, on the condition that he be escorted by a Knesset clerk. Apparently, Hazan removed the equipment only after being left alone in the room, the spokesman added.
The court ruled that Hazan’s crime involved acts of moral turpitude, a distinction that forbids individuals from holding public office in the future.
Hazan responded harshly to the verdict. "For three years they've been drinking my blood. We'll study the ruling and decide how we proceed from here," he stated.
According to a survey released late last year at the Sderot Conference for Society, fifty-nine percent of Israelis polled believe that corruption in the Knesset is high.
Earlier this year, MK Omri Sharon, son of ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was convicted after pleading guilty to charges of elections fraud in his father’s 1999 campaign. He was forced to resign, and sentenced to nine months in prison.
Former Internal Security Minister and current Kadima MK Tzachi Hanegbi has been indicted for illegal appointments within his ministry, a charge which has also been mentioned in connection with Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
In addition, Knesset members often are absent from key legislative votes, such as in the 2003 case of Gavrieli. An argument has been made that being absent from votes constitutes a breach of trust as well, though it is not technically illegal.