Opinion about the greatest lesson from Israel’s political crisis
Why the Israeli judiciary is so big? Israelis are divided on the future of the judiciary: an analysis based on the Israeli Democracy Institute
According to polling released in February by the Israel Democracy Institute, only a minority of Israelis support the reforms. 70% of Israelis want a compromise to be reached and the majority think that the Supreme Court should have the power to strike down laws, even though they think the current method of appointing judges should stay as it is.
During his speech, Netanyahu also reiterated his criticism of the refusal by some reservists to train or serve in the military in protest at the planned changes. The prime minister decided to fire the defense minister over his opposition to the plan.
One of the most important elements for the Netanyahu government is a proposed bill that will change the makeup of the committee in order to give the government a majority of the seats.
Netanyahu and his supporters argue that the Supreme Court has become an insular, elitist group that does not represent the Israeli people. They argue the Supreme Court has overstepped its role, getting into issues it should not rule on.
Critics think that if the government gets a greater say in appointing judges, Netanyahu’s allies will appoint judges that will side with Netanyahu.
Justice Minister YarivLevin said while announcing the reforms at the beginning of the month that “We go to the polls, vote, and time after time, people we didn’t elected decide for us.”
The Israeli-Israel Conflict of Interest: The Problem of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the High-Centric-Judicial-Law Order
The bill that passed now makes it more difficult to declare a sitting Prime Minister to be fit to serve, with only two-thirds of the cabinet allowed to approve such a declaration.
Netanyahu, like politicians in other countries – including in the US, has shown a willingness to compromise the nation’s values to serve his own ends. He has indelibly tarnished a legacy that many Israelis had seen in a positive light. A gifted man has fallen prey to his own arrogance.
Netanyahu agreed to a conflict of interest declaration in order to serve as prime minister despite being on trial. The Attorney General determined that the declaration meant Netanyahu could not be involved in the policy-making of the judicial overhaul. Netanyahu is being petitioned by the Israeli Supreme Court to be disqualified from serving as Prime Minister due to violating a conflict of interest declaration and the attorney general sent an open letter to Netanyahu saying he is in violation of the law.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank could be affected by this and of course Palestinian citizens of Israel would also be affected, even if they hold residency cards. The Supreme Court of Israel has no power over what happens in the Gaza Strip.
The court halted the eviction of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem due to Jewish groups’ claimed ownership of the land.
At the same time, Palestinian activists have argued that the high court has further entrenched Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, having never considered the legality of Israeli settlements there, even though they’re considered illegal by most of the international community.
The only way to provide checks and balances to the Israeli legislative branch will be destroyed by the reforms.
Members of the typically apolitical high-tech sector have also spoken out against the reforms. Assaf Rappaport, the CEO of a firm that raised $300 million of capital to Israel, said the firm won’t be moving any of it.
Several former Mossad chiefs have spoken out against the reforms in order to warn that the issue is hurting Israeli security. Hundreds of reservists in Israel’s army have warned they will not answer the call to serve if the reforms pass, saying they believe Israel will no longer be a full democracy under the changes.
It is not known what type of deal could be reached over the judiciary. The president warned of an all out war when Netanyahu rejected a compromise to his judicial plan 10 days ago.
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu in a mid-March phone call that “democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, and that fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support.”
The Israeli Court of High-Distance Political Science (COPAC): What can we learn about a legal reform of the judiciary?
Protesters say they will intensify their demonstrations until the legislation is stopped. But the government says it received a mandate from voters to pass the reform when it was elected last November.
The coalition government altered its plan for the first time in March, when it announced that it would reform the committee that selects judges. Instead of having the vast majority of the appointed seats on the committee, the government-appointed members would have a one-seat majority.
The Israeli labor federation Histadrut on Monday called a “historic” general strike to heighten pressure on Netanyahu to halt his judicial overhaul. Retail workers were among those who walked out.
Meanwhile, Israel’s former Prime Minister Yair Lapid urged Netanyahu to reverse his decision to fire Gallant and told his government to halt its judicial overhaul, telling the Knesset that the country had been “taken hostage by a bunch of extremists with no brakes and no boundaries.”
Netanyahu postponed the final vote of the legislation that had been slated for Monday. He said during a national address that he would hold discussions and bring the legislation up for a vote after lawmakers return from a break at the end of April.
The Supreme Court may have to decide on laws that curb its power, if the bills pass parliament. This raises the possibility of a constitutional standoff. The Supreme Court could rule on the legality of the law, but how would the government respond?
The War of the Demons: How a Militant Prime Minister can take a Stand against a Protest Plan on a Reform Law
Netanyahu was trapped in a vise. If he agreed to the protesters’ demands, his extremist coalition members might leave him, potentially ending his premiership. But Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, of the radical Jewish Power party, agreed to postpone the legislation.
The protesters gathered in the streets around parliament as the coalition was about to vote on the legislation. The plan was put on hold by Netanyahu.
“The protesters now have the infrastructure to take protests out (to the streets) within minutes,” Rahat told CNN, noting that it is not just one protest movement but tens of groups, some of whom may decide to continue to rally despite the deferment.
According to the managing director of the INSS and former head of the Israeli Intelligence Directorate, postponing the vote until after Passover will not end the anger on the streets.
Hayman said if Netanyahu uses the pause to conduct proper negotiations with all parties and presents a moderated reform bill that is approved by the opposition, then the protests may be spared after Independence Day.
The protests may pose a security threat due to the split within the military between those in favor and those against the judicial changes.
Some military members are also serving in very critical units, according to Rahat. Since they are mostly volunteers who love their country, Netanyahu needs to regain their trust to bring them back to their posts.
The Defense of Israel in the Presence of Political and Social Critics Crises, and Netanyahu’s Decline to Remain in Congress after the First World Referendum
Editor’s Note: Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She writes for The Washington Post and is a columnist for World Politics Review. The views she gives are of her own. View more opinion on CNN.
Netanyahu, who has been accused of fraud and bribery, was able to cobble together a governing coalition by bringing in right-wing parties that demanded enormous power in return for providing the necessary votes for him.
He said that the law would allow the government to destroy our freedom. Harari concludes, in an echo of the US Declaration of Independence, that when the government breaks its commitment to respect the basic liberties of its citizens, citizens have a right to resist.
On Monday, the sun showed a changed horizon. The country’s main labor union had called for a national strike. The flights were stopped, schools were closed, and one of the Netanyahu’s lead attorneys said he would not defend him if he pushed ahead.
The legislation was frozen because of the turmoil. But his new plan isn’t likely to satisfy all of his critics, as it reportedly includes a promise to create a national guard controlled by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
Israel civil war vs. netanyahu court control: a protester’s reaction to a recent demonstration against the pro-democracy
Several weeks ago, I wrote about three countries where the people were fighting back against anti-democratic maneuvers: Mexico, Georgia and Israel. In all three, the pro-democracy forces are scoring victories, at least temporarily.
The prime minister said he took the step to avoid causing a rift in his country. Netanyahu recently acknowledged that a rift had already formed.
On Sunday, the flashpoint was when Netanyahu ousted Gallant. A spontaneously occurring protest of thousands of people in the middle of the road overwhelmed a Tel Aviv highway.
“The prime minister doesn’t understand that he’s disconnected from what’s going on,” a protester named Yanai Or told NPR. “He’s not doing enough to calm the energy up. That’s terrifying because it could lead to civil war.
Under pressure from protests, Netanyahu’s coalition already tabled the most controversial part of the plan, which would give the ruling government the power to override the Supreme Court.
The push for more control widely is seen as a preemptive step toward enacting a controversial legislative agenda. The government would like to pass laws that prioritize religion and nationalism, but the courts are likely to say they violate basic rights.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/27/1166200532/israel-civil-war-netanyahu-court-control
Women are the Protected by the Law: Israeli Protests against the Prime Minister’s Violation of the Law of Constraints on Corruption
Netanyahu would be protected by it. The prime minister’s conflict of interest in his corruption trial and the government’s efforts to interfere with the courts led to the passing of a law blocking the ability of the judiciary to make a decision on his fitness for office.
If Israel’s courts are undermined, international courts may no longer recognize their full authority and that could mean that Israeli soldiers will be named in war crimes cases.
It is possible that the Supreme Court will eventually rule on them. The prime minister is in trial for his part in a criminal case. All of them were bundled together.
They say that their way of life is in danger and that women’s rights could suddenly be limited under the new government plan. Women have marched in red robes and white bonnets like in The Handmaid’s Tale — images that were even tweeted out by the novel’s author, Margaret Atwood.
Protests have been going on for months now, but public anger grew more intense earlier this month after Netanyahu called the protesters anarchists and police used stun grenades and water cannons to break up gatherings and marches.
Netanyahu’s decision to call off Monday’s vote is a bit of a relief, but it’s still unclear if his coalition can hold together. By freezing the legislation, Netanyahu risked some of his hardline coalition partners quitting, toppling the government and leaving the prime minister’s political future in question.
