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🇺🇸 Tumult in Tel Aviv

🇺🇸 Tumult in Tel Aviv

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March 30, 2023

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Tumult in Tel Aviv

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to delay controversial plans to reform the nation’s judicial system. Some say the move subverts the nation’s democracy, by allowing the government’s ruling party to overturn Supreme Court rulings with a simple majority.

Reporting from the Left: Netanyahu announces delay to Israel judicial overhaul plans amid huge protests (CNN)

Reporting from the Right: Netanyahu throws shade on Biden after president says he’s ‘very concerned’ about Israel’s judicial reforms (Fox News)

From the Flag: In response to the delay, some strikes were lifted. Netanyahu is the first sitting Prime Minister to appear in court as a defendant, on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies any wrongdoing. Here’s more from both sides.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Peering Through the Chaos, Netanyahu’s Push for Reform is Admirable

Israel’s judicial system would be a dream come true for Democrats in America: a leftist dictatorship empowered by the bench.
These reforms seek to establish checks and balances between the Israeli Supreme Court and other aspects of government.
Amid the chaos set off by his push for reform, Netanyahu has committed an unforced error and tarnished his legacy.

“Israel’s Judicial System Is The Dream Of The American Left” David Harsanyi, The Federalist: “No constitution. No limiting principles of governance. Entrenched leftist judges who get to appoint their own successors in perpetuity. Courts that offer arbitrary, expedient, constantly evolving, sometimes contradictory rulings to block laws passed by duly-elected, center-right governments. An attorney general empowered to bar elected leaders from participating in national debates. … This is the reality of the Israeli high court… (It) has power to act as a judicial dictatorship, and often does. And after Benjamin Netanyahu’s government proposed reforming this insane system — procedural reforms that would be in place no matter who was in power — the left acted as the contemporary left always acts when it doesn’t get its way. It got hysterical. The mass protests that erupted were hardly ‘spontaneous,’ … Most of the demonstrations were organized by Israel’s biggest unions and egged on by foreigners.”

“Netanyahu Postpones Judicial Reform Plan Amid Widespread Protests, Strikes” Greg Wilson, Daily Wire: “Netanyahu, who is seeking to expand the Israeli parliament’s lawmaking authority by curbing the Supreme Court’s power, on Sunday fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had called for a pause in the reforms. Leftist protesters, already whipped up over what they perceive to be a threat to Israeli democracy, reacted by blocking streets and bridges and lighting fires on roadways. … Critics of Israel’s Supreme Court believe it has too much power and is not answerable to the people. While the proposals have roiled Israel, most of them create the checks and balances between the legislative and judicial branches… Under the proposed reforms, the parliament would have an increased role in the selection of judges and the power to override Supreme Court decisions overturning laws. The high court would also be forced to apply the law to cases rather than ruling based on its own ‘reasonability’ test.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst enemy of Israel's prime minister Gil Troy, The Jerusalem Post

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

The Power of Protest: Israel’s People Made Their Voices Heard

Even Israel’s harshest critics have to stop and marvel at how its citizens stepped up to defend democracy.
Having staved off further unrest for now, Netanyahu must work to strike a compromise with the opposition party.
Even Israelis who are typically apolitical came out in protest of this move because they felt their country was at stake.

“In Israel, Democracy Still Holds” Bret Stephens, New York Times Opinion: “After weeks of mounting demonstrations against the government’s judicial-reform bills, hundreds of thousands took to the streets on Sunday night — proportionally, as if millions of Americans were on the march — when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would fire his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for backing away from the legislation. The demonstrators were joined by labor unions, which went on a nationwide strike that shut down the country’s main airport; by diplomats, who shut down Israeli consulates and embassies; and by at least some reservists, who threatened to refuse call-up orders. This was as close to a revolution as the modern state of Israel has ever seen. On Monday, Netanyahu blinked… As a matter of statesmanship, he brought Israel to the brink of disaster for the apparent sake of his personal legal expediency and the ideological fixations of some of his criminal, extremist, lowlife coalition partners. Still, he blinked.”

“Netanyahu has defused a crisis. Now he should seek middle ground.” Editorial Board, Washington Post: “Ceding to months of escalating pressure… Netanyahu has frozen parliamentary consideration of his ill-considered and polarizing overhaul of Israel’s judicial system for a month to allow time for negotiations. … ‘When there is a possibility to prevent a civil war through negotiations,’ he said, ‘I will give a timeout for negotiations.’ Indeed, Israel seemed at the brink of a violent internal collision in recent days, as bitter divisions penetrated even elite reservist units of the Israel Defense Forces. … What Israel really needs is a written constitution. That is a bridge too far, practically speaking, in the current moment. … Even before he paused the measure, Mr. Netanyahu asserted it would not allow ‘a small Knesset majority’ to override the court’s rulings, as one of its more contentious provisions had appeared to provide. … (He’s) promised a ‘broad consensus’ and a ‘strengthening’ of individual rights.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: What American Liberals Can Learn From Israel's Protests Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic

FLAG THIS

Majority of Israelis Support Decision To Hit Pause

Polling suggests the controversy surrounding judicial reform has harmed Netanyahu politically, with one set of data indicating his Likud party could drop from 32 to 25 seats in Knesset, which is akin to Israel’s Parliament.

The majority said they supported the decision to delay judicial reforms (63%), including 6 in 10 of the people who voted for Netanyahu’s Likud party (Channel 12).

A separate poll asked respondents to choose between Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid – the current PM was edged out 32% to 31%.

That survey also found 62% supported delaying the judicial overhaul (Kan).

Were you aware prior to reading this today that Israel does not have a written constitution?

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

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