Israeli Judicial Overhaul Resumes
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 12:07 amUpdate post if you’re new to the thread or haven’t heard of this month’s news: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=528697&p=40707331&sid=3c5b60186d762e3400cf975b16275452#p40707331
Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes extreme fundamentalist and anti-Arab political parties, has been pushing for a series of radical changes which would effectively end the Supreme Court’s ability to uphold constitutional law and protect the justice system from attacks by the legislature. While the main motivation seems to be protecting corrupt right-wing politicians from being convicted, the overhaul agenda has increasingly become about suppressing Israeli Arabs while escalating with Palestinian communities, as well as preventing the political participation of Netanyahu’s enemies—which would expand his power while appeasing his far-right political allies.
Currently, few factors are at play:
1. The legal system’s response - they have some legal basis to slow the takeover, but firm intervention will further anger the pro-Netanyahu camp. As well, Israel’s fragile and haphazard constitutional framework gives the Supreme Court few options to protect itself.
2. The coalition - shielding partners (and himself) from prior legal issues may be tricky, and ultranationalist hawks have made tall demands which are practically and/or legally difficult to fulfill. Any one of four allied parties could bring Netanyahu, but disputes have not come to that point yet.
3. International community - Arab nations that are friendlier with Israel have been uneasy with the new coalition, and Israel’s biggest allies are staunchly against the judicial changes. International relations taking a turn for the worse is bad for Israel’s economy and national security, whereas increasing aggression against Palestine may have a destabilizing effect when there is already internal turmoil.
Now that he’s prioritizing controversial and unpopular changes rather than addressing relevant concerns, Netanyahu will have to keep things together (without calling daunting elections, preferably) until April for fear of corruption proceedings putting him away before he gets another chance to shoot them down. With all of these issues considered, a self-coup and far-right dictatorship may be within the realm of possibility. So, until this is resolved, a lot of things are up in the air. Who will succeed? What is the end goal of the judicial overhaul? Will Israel change for the better or worse (if either) in the upcoming months?
For the time being, this thread is also going to include Palestinian happenings relating to the new government to avoid opening a similar thread which may not diverge into a distinctly different topic. As such, here’s the breakdown: the Israeli government has been pushing for an escalation against Palestine and expansion of settler areas, and (after the killing of Palestinian civilians in the Jenin raid) violence is escalating in the West Bank and Gaza, and there have even been attacks against Israeli civilians in Jerusalem. While Fatah, Hamas, and the growing Palestinian Islamic Jihad have all harshly criticized Israel, Netanyahu has chosen to double down and pursue stronger anti-Arab security policies.
Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes extreme fundamentalist and anti-Arab political parties, has been pushing for a series of radical changes which would effectively end the Supreme Court’s ability to uphold constitutional law and protect the justice system from attacks by the legislature. While the main motivation seems to be protecting corrupt right-wing politicians from being convicted, the overhaul agenda has increasingly become about suppressing Israeli Arabs while escalating with Palestinian communities, as well as preventing the political participation of Netanyahu’s enemies—which would expand his power while appeasing his far-right political allies.
Currently, few factors are at play:
1. The legal system’s response - they have some legal basis to slow the takeover, but firm intervention will further anger the pro-Netanyahu camp. As well, Israel’s fragile and haphazard constitutional framework gives the Supreme Court few options to protect itself.
2. The coalition - shielding partners (and himself) from prior legal issues may be tricky, and ultranationalist hawks have made tall demands which are practically and/or legally difficult to fulfill. Any one of four allied parties could bring Netanyahu, but disputes have not come to that point yet.
3. International community - Arab nations that are friendlier with Israel have been uneasy with the new coalition, and Israel’s biggest allies are staunchly against the judicial changes. International relations taking a turn for the worse is bad for Israel’s economy and national security, whereas increasing aggression against Palestine may have a destabilizing effect when there is already internal turmoil.
Now that he’s prioritizing controversial and unpopular changes rather than addressing relevant concerns, Netanyahu will have to keep things together (without calling daunting elections, preferably) until April for fear of corruption proceedings putting him away before he gets another chance to shoot them down. With all of these issues considered, a self-coup and far-right dictatorship may be within the realm of possibility. So, until this is resolved, a lot of things are up in the air. Who will succeed? What is the end goal of the judicial overhaul? Will Israel change for the better or worse (if either) in the upcoming months?
For the time being, this thread is also going to include Palestinian happenings relating to the new government to avoid opening a similar thread which may not diverge into a distinctly different topic. As such, here’s the breakdown: the Israeli government has been pushing for an escalation against Palestine and expansion of settler areas, and (after the killing of Palestinian civilians in the Jenin raid) violence is escalating in the West Bank and Gaza, and there have even been attacks against Israeli civilians in Jerusalem. While Fatah, Hamas, and the growing Palestinian Islamic Jihad have all harshly criticized Israel, Netanyahu has chosen to double down and pursue stronger anti-Arab security policies.