Israel Weekly News Roundup, March 3 2023
5 Things you need to know
Tens of Thousands of Israeli Citizens Are Engaged in Protests All Over the Country: Wednesday was declared by the protesters as a Day of Disruption. Highways, main roads, central junctions all over the country were blocked for hours, causing extensive traffic jams. Tens of thousands were in the streets from the morning until late at night, shouting “Democracy”, protesting against the judicial revolution, which will strip the checks and balances from Israel’s government and destroy the superiority of the rule of law, as manifested in the independence of the judicial system.
Hundreds of thousand continue to participate in Saturday night demonstrations in tens of towns all over the country with more than 150,000 at the main venue in Tel Aviv.
The government is still promoting a series of law as part of the judicial revolution.
Right now there are three possible scenarios:
A. A constitutional crisis: The current set of bills pass, and the balance between the three state agencies, legislative, executive and judicial, is violated and cancelled. The high court of justice will most probably rule that those bills contradict the core values of Israel and will declare them as unlawful. In that case law enforcement agencies will have to decide if they obey the law, as manifested in the court ruling, or the executive authority. This will be a major constitutional crisis.
B. A bad compromise, in which representatives of the opposition agree to a more limited version of the judicial revolution than that currently proposed. This scenario will make Israel into a semi dictatorship.
C. A good compromise, in which all representatives of the opposition and the demonstrators agree to restart Israel’s set of legal values and the mechanism of the system and the relations between the three state agencies, based on broad agreed-upon procedures.
Jewish Settlers Riot Described as a “Pogrom” In the Palestinian Village Huwara in the West Bank: The trigger was a deadly terrorist attack carried out by a Palestinian in Huwara, in which two Jewish brothers from the settlement in Bracha on a mountain above the Palestinian town of Nablus. Later that day, hundreds of settlers arrived in a march to Huwara. They started burning houses and cars. The Palestinian residents had to flee, in an attempt to save their lives.
The settlers continued the pogrom for hours which was live broadcast in all media outlets and social media platforms. The IDF (Israel Defense Force) was not prepared and reacted too late. Tens of houses were damaged, almost one hundred cars were completely burned, one Palestinian was killed and several others were badly injured. Only six people have been arrested so far. Police have stated that it would be difficult to prosecute them since they were all masked and they won’t cooperate with the investigation.
Later this week, minister of finance Bezalel Smotrich, who is also the head of the Religious Zionist party, said in an interview that he thinks Huwara should be eliminated, “be erased”. Later he tried to explain, but that was too late. The American administration demanded that PM Netanyahu denounce this declaration.
The Judicial Revolution in the Knesset Continues: The head of the constitution committee in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) MK Simcha Rothman continues to push forward bills which are part of the judicial revolution. This week he finished the preparation of the override bill which will enable a small majority of Knesset members, 61 out of 120, to override any judgment by the High Court of Justice. This section is planned to be presented at the government weekly meeting on Sunday for approval. Another bill that the government will probably approve on Sunday is the bill that disables the court from even discussing any nomination of a minister. This applies specifically to Arye Deri, the leader of the Shas party, the Sephardi orthodox religious party. The High Court of Justice ruled recently that Deri cannot be a minister since he was convicted of fraud in a plea deal in which he promised that he will retire from politics.
Meanwhile all public opinion polls show a clear picture: the majority of the Israeli public are against the judicial revolution as proposed . There is also a majority against the revolution among right-wing supporters and voters.
One-Day Summit Brings Israeli and Palestinian Officials Together in Attempt to Curb Escalation of Violence: the summit was held in Aqaba, Jordan, under the auspices of the US, with formal delegations from Jordan and Egypt, represented by their heads of intelligence.
The Israeli delegation included by National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Ghasan Alyan and Foreign Minister Director-General Ronen Levy. The Palestinian delegation included PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh, General Intelligence Service head Majed Faraj and Majdi al-Khaldi, a senior adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh, General Intelligence Service head Majed Faraj and Majdi al-Khaldi, a senior adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The purpose of the emergency summit was to curb the escalation of violence in the West Bank, especially ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The formal press release published after the summit stipulated steps taken to restore the calm and alleviate rising tensions, including Israel freezing the construction of new settlements for four months and the legalization of illegal outposts in the West Bank for six months.
Palestinian sources reported that some political factions were furious at PA president Abas for sending a delegation to the Aqaba summit. Israeli senior politicians, including PM Netanyahu were quick to reject the understandings reached at the Aqaba summit. In a tweet published only hours after the summit concluded, Netanyahu wrote: “the building and authorization in Judea and Samaria will continue according to the original planning and building schedule, with no change.”
Finance Minister Smotritch (Religious Zionism), the minister now in charge of the civil administration at the West Bank said: "I have no idea what they talked about or didn't talk about in Jordan. I heard about this unnecessary conference from the media just like you, but one thing I do know: there will not be a freeze on construction and development in the settlements, not even for one day.”
Benny Gantz Calls for Dialogue Amidst Rapid Legislation and Escalation in Protests: during a day of massive disruptive protests around the country, Benny Gantz, Chair of the National Camp party called on PM Netanyahu to halt everything and engage in dialogue at President Herzog’s residence. In a message to PM Netanyahu and Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana (Likud) Gantz emphasized that dialogue is possible only if the coalition will freeze all legislative processes related to the judicial overhaul.
In his speech at the Knesset plenum, Gantz warned against a civil war and bloodshed, should the rapid legislation of the judicial overhaul continue, and called upon PM Netanyahu, Minister of Justice Levin (Likud) and Chair of Law and Judiciary Committee MK Rothman (Religious Zionism) to stop everything and negotiate a agreed upon reform under the auspices of President Herzog.
In response, PM Netanyahu said: "My door is open, come now." Gantz replied that "the entire legislative process should be frozen. The Prime Minister knows exactly what I told him. When they announce that they are stopping the legislation, within an hour we will be at his door."
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and Chairman of the Constitution Committee MK Simcha Rothman also responded to Gantz’ call for dialogue: "Let's set a place and time and sit down to talk. No preconditions."
Civil society groups actively involved in the protests said Gantz had no mandate to negotiate with the coalition while legislation was underway and called on people to continue protesting.
For further reading:
Day of Disruption: Here, here, here, here
Hawara: Here, here, here, here
Judicial Revolution: Here, here, here, here