International•2 Jan ’24 07:05•Modified on 2 Jan ’24 10:46Author: Thijs Baas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not get the law he so desperately wants. The law was supposed to make it possible to make legislation without approval from the judiciary in Israel. The Israeli Supreme Court voted against the proposal by a narrow majority.
Israel’s Supreme Court puts an end to legal reform
6 min 12 sec
In the Gaza Strip, the new year actually started as the previous one ended. The heart of Israel was hit with a rocket salvo from Gaza. It therefore appears that little peace can be expected next year, says correspondent Ralph Dekkers from Tel Aviv. ‘Israel doesn’t actually celebrate the new year either, it has more or less remained the same.’
“If that law were reintroduced, it would probably be accepted by the court.”
Ralph Dekkers, correspondent
The most important change in direction appears to be the withdrawal of thousands of reservists from the Israeli army. Because the war could last much longer, it was decided to send some of them home. ‘Those reservists were pulled away from their normal lives three months ago. By sending them home at least temporarily, they can become part of the economy again. It has also suffered serious blows because more than 350,000 reservists have been taken away from their work.’
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The partial withdrawal should not be seen as a prelude to the end of the conflict, Dekkers says. Although it may be the start of a scaling down of the intensity of the war, which the Americans have been pushing for for weeks. “But Prime Minister Netanyahu and the army leadership have already announced that the war will continue for at least months, but probably all of 2024.”
Supreme Court puts an end to controversial reform
The Israeli Supreme Court yesterday struck down a controversial law by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The law was passed in July, but has now been overturned by the highest judiciary. The law would have limited the power of the same Supreme Court by depriving the court of the ability to annul decisions by the government or a minister on the grounds of ‘unreasonableness’.
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According to Dekkers, it is a ‘huge political blow’ for Netanyahu and his political partners. The prime minister also wanted to implement other reforms, possibly in the hope of stopping his own prosecution. The Supreme Court’s decision was a close call, he says. ‘The composition of the court has now changed: two more liberal judges, who still made this decision, have now retired. So if that law were reintroduced, it would probably be accepted by the court.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not get the law he so desperately wants. The law was supposed to make it possible to make legislation without the approval of the judiciary in Israel. (ANP/Xinhua News Agency)
2024-01-02 09:46:00
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