Netanyahu's judicial reforms
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Israel, a country founded in 1948, is currently experiencing its worst crisis ever even as it prepares to mark its silver jubilee. Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been prime minister for 15 of the past 27 years, is now facing an internal crisis. It also has to do with the reality that the "democracy" of the Jewish state, which is hailed as the silver lining of democracy in the "totalitarian darkness" of the Middle East, is in jeopardy. Protests against the Netanyahu administration's judicial reforms have been raging in the streets of Israel for several days. Protesters blocked the main highway to Tel Aviv, set fires on the street and clashed with police, besieging Netanyahu's home in the capital, Jerusalem. Although the opposition supported the protests, the majority of people were those who did not have any particular political affiliation, including the country's largest trade union and the National Student and Youth Council. 60 per cent of the population reportedly opposes the government's action. The protests only intensified after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for opposing the proposed judicial overhaul.
Protesters shut down everything from the major airport to shops and banks. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said that this is the biggest crisis in the history of the country. Given the intensity of the protests, Netanyahu has temporarily defused the situation by declaring that he is temporarily halting the reform and is open to further discussions. However, the protesters want the amendment entirely repealed, not just delayed. When Parliament meets again at the end of April after its recess, we can know what will happen next. The administration is targeting sweeping reforms in the judiciary's powers. The most important change is that the legislation also aims to add more government representatives to the nine-member committee that selects judges, giving the government an upper hand. In Israel, where there is no written constitution, the legal system known as the Basic Law is a collection of different laws on various subjects. The power of the court to examine the validity of a fundamental law will be removed with the proposed amendment. As the current administration charges the Supreme Court and lesser courts of typically being left-leaning, it is only natural that the coalition government of six far-right parties would attempt to overthrow them. Similar to those of the High Courts, appointments to the lower courts are also made by such committees. Gali Baharav-Miara, the Attorney General of Israel, is also said to have voiced concerns to Netanyahu about the changes. The clause, however, that would deny the Attorney General the authority to proclaim a Prime Minister ineligible for office has already been brought up for debate in Parliament. In the event that the legislation is passed, the Parliament may, by a simple majority, override Supreme Court rulings. It will be difficult for the judge to rule that the prime minister is unfit to hold office. Thus, Netanyahu's goal is to prevent the courts from acting 'out of bounds'.
After a ruler was found guilty of corruption by a trial judge, it was only natural that the public would be outraged by this act of changing the rules of the game. Netanyahu's allies, on the other hand, are insisting that the amendments be implemented at any cost. The Israeli government is aiming for legislative reforms that would give the state the upper hand in the executive-judiciary separation and make the judiciary a mere spectator. Israeli courts have often issued judgments and observations against the government not only in matters related to the official administration of the country but also in matters related to the Arab population of Israel and the settlements in the Palestinian lands that are adjacent to them. There have also been instances where Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Prime Minister and Tel Aviv Mayor Ehud Olmert etc. have been convicted on corruption charges. Thus, the aim of the amendments proposed by the Netanyahu government is to eliminate the possibility of controlling the ruling government. It is interesting that Israel, which was born through dubious means by flouting all the world's democratic norms, has to face protests in the name of democracy from within. There are people in the western world and even in India who glorify Israel's democracy model. Now the world is watching to see how successful the people of Israel will be in thwarting the far-right Zionist regime's attempts to gain executive primacy, especially as stealthy moves to cut off the power of the judiciary are underway in countries including India.
