Clinic meeting on judicial reform
Will Israel reach a last-minute compromise?
07/24/2023, 12:38 am
Shortly before a decisive vote in parliament on judicial reform, Israel’s President Herzog will meet Prime Minister Netanyahu to reach an agreement. Tens of thousands of opponents and supporters of the controversial plans demonstrate on the streets.
In Israel, the restructuring of the judiciary planned by the right-wing religious government is entering a decisive phase. President Izchak Herzog tried at the last moment to reach a compromise between the government and the opposition on the controversial project. According to his office, he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Jair Lapid on Sunday evening. He then also wanted to meet with opposition politician Benny Gantz. “This is a time of emergency. An agreement must be reached,” said Herzog.
After the meeting, Lapid agreed to a proposal from Herzog, about which no specific details were initially known. “I will do my utmost to reach a broad consensus for a democratic and strong Israel,” he wrote on Twitter. Netanyahu initially did not comment. The parliament in Jerusalem began a marathon session on Sunday to finalize a core element of the controversial plans. It may be voted on as early as this Monday.
Both opponents and supporters of the judicial reform demonstrated on Sunday evening. While tens of thousands of supporters of the planned restructuring of the judiciary gathered in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, tens of thousands who opposed the project gathered in the capital Jerusalem. A demonstration for a consensus between the two camps also took place in Jerusalem at noon.
Netanyahu in the hospital
According to media reports, advocates of judicial reform attacked a journalist and his camera team for reasons that were initially unclear. According to the information, many of the demonstrators came by bus from other parts of the country and settlements in the occupied West Bank to Tel Aviv, which is considered liberal.
According to media reports, the meeting between Netanyahu and Herzog took place in the hospital. The 73-year-old had a pacemaker inserted just a few hours before the start of the consultations in the hospital. According to the doctors, he survived the procedure well. Netanyahu was hospitalized a week ago. At that time it was still said that he had been in the sun for too long without water and a hat. It is unclear whether he can be in the Knesset in time for the vote. In a short video after the operation, he promised to be there. He is expected to be discharged from the hospital on Monday.
The law is part of a larger package that critics see as a threat to Israel’s democracy. All previous negotiations between the right-wing coalition and the opposition have so far been unsuccessful. Netanyahu’s Likud party also only on Sunday rejected a proposal for an agreement made by the umbrella organization of trade unions (Histadrut) a few days ago.
Bar association wants to take action against the law
The current government is the most right-wing Israel has ever had. The changes in the law are also being made under pressure from Netanyahu’s strictly religious coalition partners. However, the reform could also play into his hands in a corruption process that has been going on against the head of government for some time.
The law should no longer allow the country’s highest court to assess a decision by the government or individual ministers as “inappropriate”. Critics fear that this will encourage corruption and the arbitrary filling of important posts and layoffs. The Netanyahu government, on the other hand, accuses the judiciary of interfering too much in political decisions.
The head of the Bar Association, Amit Becher, announced that he would take legal action against the law if it were passed. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets against the judicial reform on Saturday. The organizers put the number of participants at more than half a million. Israel has ten million inhabitants. The planned restructuring of the judiciary has been dividing large sections of society for more than six months. Opponents of the project fear that Israel could change fundamentally. Some even warn against the introduction of a dictatorship.
Pressure on government from military ranks
During the deliberations in the Knesset, opposition MP Orit Farkasch-Hacohen burst into tears. “Our country is on fire. You destroyed the country, you destroyed society.” Recently, resistance in the military has also increased. About 10,000 reservists announced that they would no longer appear on duty if the government did not stop their plans. According to reports, this could significantly affect the operational readiness of the military.
On Friday, more than 1,000 Air Force reservists had already threatened to refuse service. Defense Minister Joav Galant then announced that he was trying to reach a “consensus”. Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies wrote Sunday: “The damage to Israel’s national security has become a reality.” If the law is not stopped, it will not only damage the military, but also the economy and relations with important allies such as the USA.
Shopping centers are on strike
A coalition of the 150 largest companies in the country called for a strike on Monday. According to the media, some large shopping centers are also affected by the work stoppage. Several large high-tech companies are also reportedly planning to join the strike. The start-up scene is considered the most important driver of the Israeli economy.
The strike was not coordinated with the umbrella organization of trade unions (Histadrut), from which opponents of the reform – so far unsuccessfully – are calling for a general strike. The trade union federation with 800,000 members had already called for a general strike at the end of March because of Defense Minister Galant’s dismissal by Netanyahu. Galant had previously criticized the restructuring of the judiciary. Netanyahu then temporarily suspended the plans and the dismissal was reversed.