Demonstrators at the demonstration site in central Tel Aviv, Saturday. Credit: Tomer Appelbaum. Source of the image.
US ‘strongly urges’ compromise as mass protests erupt across Israel after anti-judiciary reform minister fired
by ZeroHedge News
Update (2045ET): Mass protests erupted across Israel tonight after the Prime Minister Netanyahu fired his defense minister, a day later he was calling on the Israeli leader to halt a planned judicial review that has fiercely divided the country.
As a reminder, Netanyahu and his allies say the plan will restore balance between the executive and judicial branches and rein in what they see as an interventionist court with liberal sympathies. But critics say the constellation of laws will remove checks and balances from Israel’s democratic system and concentrate power in the hands of the ruling coalition.
Gallant’s dismissal noted that Netanyahu will move forward with the overhaul plan this week, which has sparked mass protests, angered military and business leaders and raised concerns among Israel’s allies.
“Country Faces Greatest Danger Since Yom Kippur War.” writes former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“I ask the Prime Minister to withdraw Galant’s letter of impeachment, suspend the reform and start negotiations until after Independence Day.
Israel’s consul general has resigned…
Bibi later tweeted “we must all stand firm against denial.”
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets…in Tel Aviv…
… and Haifa…
Not everyone protests…
Haaretz reports that amid the unprecedented protests that erupted in Israel on Sunday night, several Likud lawmakers and ministers are calling for a halt to the highly controversial legislative process of Netanyahu’s judicial reform.
Moreover, as Nadav Eyal points out, for the first time in history, Israel’s main trade union, as well as leaders of the banks and the entire business sector, are about to declare a general strike demanding the government to stop the plan to reform the judicial system.
Finally, and most ominously, amid the social media chatter of it, Iran has dropped the c-word:
Will there be a military coup in Israel?
Mutiny in the Israeli army after Netanyahu’s decision to fire Defense Minister Barak David
— Iran Observer (@Iranobserver01) March 26, 2023
The situation is definitely escalating, as Joyce Karam summarizes…
UPDATE: #Israel in the last few hours
• Defense Min. Gallant fired
• The consul general in New York resigns
• Protests throughout Israel, > 500,000
• Roads cut; Confrontations with the police
• Universities cancel classes
• Netanyahu’s meeting with the head of Intel
• Can stop Judicial Review
• The Knesset waits
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) March 26, 2023
Increasing pressure on Netanyahu, Washington has stepped in:
We are deeply concerned about today’s developments outside Israel, which further underline the urgent need for compromise.
As the President recently discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu, democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the US-Israel relationship.
Democratic societies are strengthened by checks and balances, and fundamental changes in a democratic system should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support.
We continue to urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible.
We believe this is the best way forward for Israel and all its citizens. America’s support for Israel’s security and democracy remains strong.
It follows a report earlier this month by the US State Department that it has been funding a left-wing organization in Israel that is helping to promote an anti-government protest aimed at bringing down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his judicial reforms. The Washington Free Beacon reported Monday that US taxpayer funds have been awarded to the Movement for Quality Government (MQG), which has been involved in the protests that have rocked Israel for weeks. The protests began after Netanyahu, whose right-wing coalition won an absolute majority in the last election, began to address the decades-old problem of judicial usurpation of power from the legislature.
And finally, as the crisis worsens tonight, Bibi has called the leaders of the ruling coalition parties to an emergency meeting on Monday morning.
***
Update (1415ET): In perhaps the least surprising geopolitical move of the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister on Sundaya day after Yoav Gallant called for a halt to the planned overhaul of Israel’s judiciary that has divided the country.
Netanyahu’s office did not provide further details.
As we detail below, Gallant, a senior member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, became the first to break ratings Saturday afternoon calling for a freeze on the legislation.
***
In an important development, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Saturday to halt planned judicial reforms.which have caused huge protests and are beginning to disrupt the country’s army.
“I see the source of our strength eroding…The rift within our society is widening and penetrating the Israel Defense Forces,Gallant said in a televised late-night address. “This is a clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the state. I won’t be a part of that.”
In addition to calling for the reforms to be suspended, Gallant also pleaded with Israelis to stop their massive protests, which raged even as he spoke.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made his remarks Saturday evening (Photo of the Ministry of Defense)
Next week could bring high drama and even more upheaval as the Knesset is expected to hold a final vote on the first aspect of the judicial review.: A measure that gives the government more power over Supreme Court appointments.
Other reforms would allow the Knesset, Israel’s unicameral legislature, to overturn Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority vote. Others would end the court’s practice of applying a “reasonableness” test when evaluating laws and government actions.
Critics characterize the scheme as a further step towards authoritarianism. Some say the measures are designed in part to help Netanyahu end his ongoing prosecution for corruption charges.
The past ten weeks have seen major public protests across Israel. Saturday night’s crowds were reportedly the largest yet, estimated at hundreds of thousands.
Gallant said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is feeling the effects: “Events that happen in Israeli society do not stay outside the military. The feelings of anger, disappointment and fear have reached heights we have never seen beforeGallant said.
more urgent, a growing coalition of Israeli service members, calling themselves Brothers in Arms, pledges to stop showing up. for duty in protest of the measures.
Some say they will stay home if judicial reform passes, but others are not waiting, especially among Israel’s reserve forces. Friday, two hundred Israeli Air Force reserve pilots signed a letter saying they will not report for two weeks. Reservists are an essential part of the Israeli military, and especially its air force, which has been active in bombing targets across Syria, including Damascus airport.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has already sounded an internal alarm the drop in reservists reporting for duty is now so great that the military is on the verge of curtailing some operations, according to The New York Times, which cited three unnamed Israeli officials. Two of these officials are preparing for the resignations of full-time service members.
The Palestinians would certainly welcome a reduction in IDF operations
Underscoring the divisions caused by the judicial proposal, Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked his cabinet colleague and urged Netanyahu to fire Gallant.whom he condemned for “succumbing to the pressure of those [IDF members] that he threatened to refuse [to report for duty] and we try to stop the important reform”.
In the same way, Minister of Communications of Israel accused Gallant, a former marine commando “giving wind to a military coup”.
However, just minutes after Gallant concluded his remarks, two of his fellow Likud party lawmakers endorsed his request, reports Haaretz. One is the chairman of the Knesset’s security and foreign affairs committee, and the other is a person who rarely criticizes Netanyahu.
Israel’s agriculture minister and another Likud member also favor a freeze. If they were to become “no” votes, that quartet would be enough to block the legislation.
On Friday, the day before Gallant’s speech, Netanyahu told reporters:
“Surrender to [IDF] denial is a terrible danger to the state of Israel…The country cannot exist without the IDF. There will not be a nation, it is very simple. All red lines have been crossed. The people who were responsible for the security of the country suddenly adopted this cynicism.”
Gallant said he had privately shared his views with Netanyahu, who asked him to delay publishing them. Gallant canceled plans to speak Thursday, but said he now felt compelled to take his message to all Israelis.
Read the full article at ZeroHedge News
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Posted on March 26, 2023
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