What happened: For the fifth consecutive week, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated at multiple locations across Israel on Saturday night, protesting the judicial reform being advanced by the government.
- Once again, the main demonstration was held on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv. According to organisers, around 100,000 people turned out to demonstrate, despite the inclement weather.
- One of the key speakers was Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who told the crowd: “We are determined to continue to fight for the State of Israel’s image. They’re trying to frame us as being out-of-touch instead of listening to our principled positions. I want to warn the government: if you take things to the extreme, you’re liable to produce extreme counter-reactions. This is an opportunity to reach broad agreements, and if the words end, actions will begin. We won’t be indifferent. We won’t respond with acceptance.”
- At a second rally in Tel Aviv organised by the Movement for Quality Government at Habima Square, the former police commissioner, Roni Alsheich, related to the proposed reform, saying: “This plan doesn’t contain a single element that is designed to correct. They’re trying to remove all of the checks and balances today at once. All the power is to be given to the executive branch without any constraints. Things that are illegal will become legal within days and, if need be, they’ll be enshrined in a basic law. The proposal is a regime coup, nothing short of that. As an observant Jew I have to admit that there isn’t anything Jewish about what is being proposed at present.”
- Yesterday, President Isaac Herzog called on the government to, “Stop the whole process for a moment, take a deep breath, allow dialogue to take place, because there is a huge majority of the nation that wants dialogue.”
- He also called on opponents of the judicial reform to stop their incitement and threats.
- Justice Minister Levin’s responded bluntly to the President on Channel 13: “Let there be no doubt, we will not suspend the legislation for even a minute.”
Context: The government is prioritising judicial reform, as a consensual issue shared by all the coalition partners.
- Both reformers and preservers are claiming to defend democracy. For the reformers it means giving extended power to elected representatives. For the protestors it’s about keeping checks on the absolute power of the majority.
- Last month Justice Minister Yariv Levin outlined stage one of his reform proposals which include:
- An override law that would allow the Knesset to reinstate legislation annulled by the Supreme Court, by a simple majority of 61 votes.
- To alter the committee that selects judges, giving politicians more control.
- Abolishing ‘reasonability’ as grounds for the court to cancel government decisions.
- Altering the role of ministerial legal advisors, allowing ministers to appoint their own advisers.
- President Herzog has suggested forming a cross-parliamentary committee, so that any changes can be moderated and receive wider consensual support. So far he has been rebuffed by both sides.
- Herzog was referring to various incidents of incitement posted online over the weekend, including a 76-year-old retired air force colonel Zeev Raz who appeared to endorse a post calling for the assassination of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
- In addition, former prime minister Ehud Barak shared an image comparing Herzog to prime minister Neville Chamberlain, as if his calls for dialogue with the government was the equivalent of appeasement of Hitler.
- Also over the weekend J.P. Morgan, along with Barclays Bank issued new forecasting assessments that the proposed judicial reform might have a negative impact on Israel’s economic growth and its credit rating.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu will dispatch his key ally Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to engage with the banks and credit agencies. This type of dialogue is usually handled by finance ministry officials, but due to the sensitivity Dermer – who earlier in his career served as economic attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Washington – is expected to deal with this issue.
- Netanyahu was in Paris this weekend. Following his meeting with President Macron he met with about 60 business and corporation executives who claimed control a combined total of about €150 billion. “What they are saying about ‘investor flight’ is rubbish. We want to increase investment in Israel,” Netanyahu told them.
- However, more prominent economists, including Nobel Prize and Israel Prize laureates, added their signatures to the more than 300 others who had already signed a public warning about the economic damage that the proposed judicial overhaul might cause.
- In addition, over 50 CEOs of retail chains and large companies in Israel sent a letter yesterday to the political leaders calling for dialogue on the proposed reforms
Looking ahead: This week, the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will continue deliberations on the reforms. The objective of the committee chair, MK Simcha Rothman is to pass the entire reform by the end of the winter session in another two months’ time.
- Some analysts have predicted that only after the bill passes in its first reading in the Knesset will genuine negotiations begin, which could include mediation by President Herzog.
- The government also plans to introduce “the second Deri bill,” which will claim that the court can have no judicial oversight over the appointment of ministers. The aim of the bill is to allow Shas leader Aryeh Deri to be reinstated as a minister.
