NOS News•
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said in a televised speech that he will continue with “responsible legal reform” in the country. There has been deep division in Israel over these reforms.
Today a law was passed that makes it much more difficult to remove a sitting prime minister from his position. Under the new law, this is only possible if he or she is physically or mentally unable to perform that function.
That decision must then be approved by 75 percent of the ministers. If a prime minister still refuses to leave, at least 75 percent of the entire parliament must agree to force a departure. The Supreme Court has now been completely sidelined by this decision.
The law is part of a whole package of legal reforms that the ultra-right government wants to implement. These plans should result in the Supreme Court being given less power in favor of parliament.
According to the attorney general, Netanyahu should not interfere with the intended legal reforms at all, because he himself is on trial for corruption. But the law passed today allows Netanyahu to engage in legal reform despite the corruption case.
“Until now my hands were tied, but now I’m going to get involved,” Netanyahu said in his speech.
Picked up
The prime minister’s speech followed a meeting with his defense minister earlier today. Minister Yoav Gallant, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, was expected to call tonight for the far-right government’s legal reforms to be put on hold for the sake of national security and to defuse unrest in the military. However, after the conversation with Netanyahu, Gallant refrained from making his own speech or press statement.
Nevertheless, the Jewish Force coalition party of the radical right-wing Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir reacted with anger at the attitude of the Minister of Defense. “Yoav Gallant has placed himself outside the right-wing camp,” said Jewish Strength.
“We cannot allow conflict to jeopardize our common future,” Netanyahu said on television. “I will do everything to calm things down and get cohesion.”
Weekly protests, unrest in the army
The proposed reforms are splitting the Israeli population. Some Israelis fear that democracy will suffer from the reforms. Another, more conservative part welcomes the changes to the law because it considers the judiciary to be too progressive. For example, the Supreme Court can still have new Israeli settlements of settlers, which were founded without the permission of the Israeli authorities, evacuated.
Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets every week for three months to protest against the reforms. There were also protests today, with major roads blocked and car tires set on fire. In Tel Aviv and Haifa, police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
The polarization among the population also trickles down to the Israeli army and security services. A few hundred elite reservists are currently refusing to show up for exercises or deployments and have joined the protests.
‘Lies’
The Israeli opposition calls Netanyahu’s words “lies” tonight and calls on politicians in the coalition parties to stop showing solidarity with the government.
According to opposition leader Yair Lapid, Netanyahu has lost control and it is his justice minister Yariv Levin – mastermind behind the reforms – who is now pulling the strings.
