The coverage I’m seeing in the various loony left news sources I get is that the far right government of Israel has passed a limiting what the Israeli Supreme Court can rule on.
This seems like a terrible, anti-democratic idea. Are my sources lying to me, or is this as bad as it seems? Can the SCOI (Supreme Court of Israel?) find that law unconstitutional, or is this the final word? What’s Parliament’s justification for reducing the power of the judiciary?
I’m bumping this for you, but also because I’d like more input on this.
From what I’ve seen/researched my self so far this year the current administration in Israel is leaning hard to the right with some very bad stuff going on from my point of view.
It really is! I think in Israel, the demographics are very different than the US. Here in the US, I think the ultra conservative base is aging and shrinking, but in Israel, the ultra conservatives (political and religious) are younger and growing. I’m happy to be corrected on that point.
A couple of hundred thousand here and there, roadblocks, marches, camps, etc., but I feel like none of that is really news— already discussed in the previous thread. At least, I may be wrong, but this does not seem like Paris 1968 type of disruption.
Israel’s President wants to rule like the late Chavez in Venezuela did or Erdogan in Turkiye is. Or Orban in Hungary. Nothing more to it.
To succeed as a dictator you need to either suborn or neuter the national courts. Bibi failed at Door #1, so has moved on to Door #2. Trump via McCarthy and the Federalist society has probably already succeeded at Door #1 in the USA. His dictatorship begins the day he’s inaugurated. If that happens. Not I said “inaugurated”, not “won the election”. With enough court & legislative connivance it is quite possible to lose the election and still be inaugurated.
Israel is being forced by a psycho down a very dangerous path. We are about 2 years behind them.
Yep. And he had a light heart attack yesterday, got a pace maker implanted in an emergency operation. Seems like a hint from above, if you believe in these kind of signals. He did not heed it, nor did his followers in the Knesset.
Had this new law not been adopted, Netanyahu would face prison for corruption. With the new law, he can avoid that: just change the law in such a way that his corruption is no longer punible with prison (his plan, explicitly), the Constitutional Court cannot object to the law, he is fine.
Yes, looks like a perfect blueprint for other dictators too. Does any other country, apart from perhaps Hungary and Türkiye (and RuZZia, and Bielorussia, and El Salvador too, come to think of it, to keep good company), face an organised attack by reactionary forces or just plain fascists on judiciary independence? That country might be in trouble down the road.
As I said upthread, this is the bog standard play for how to take over a recently democratic country without the need of a plebiscite for dictatorship nor for a revolution, coup, violence, etc. very quiet and peaceful-like.
Just quietly suborn the executive, starting with the election officials and law enforcement, then suborn the judiciary. Now the country is the personal property of the Head Honcho. With luck the opposition is disorganized enough to let it happen and the public is oblivious before then quickly cowed after. With no small number of the idiot public enthusiastically cheering the new dictator as their Beloved Leader.
Religious groups are in favour of reducing the power of the Supreme Court by saying they cannot use “reasonableness” as an argument against government decisions. This gives the government more power to make unpopular decisions.
I tend to dislike anything which reduces democracy. In particular, the States have criticized these changes and had asked for delay. The fact this did not happen may signify weak leadership. But perhaps part of the motive is due to suggestions of corruption against certain executive members.
Also, Israel accounts for one-fifth of some industries like cybersecurity and has a lot of computer expertise. These employ many people and contribute significant taxes. Upsetting the balance of judicial and legislative powers makes doing business more volatile and risky. It may have a significant economic costs and has upset some who serve in the military. The potential gains from this law might appeal to hardliners but on the whole it seems to me a backward step. Still, it is not my decision, my circus nor my monkeys.
Bad cronyist klepto politics is bad for business. e.g. Latin American and Africa remain poor, as well as Southern Europe is generally poorer then Northern Europe, and with pockets of especial poverty within that. Much of that is due to bad crony / klepto / authoritarian government. Not much point in building a business if the moment you get big enough to be noticed some dudes with guns take it from you.
Yes, Netanyahu is going to destroy everything that makes Israel a prosperous and successful nation.
You know, as shitty as the ultra religious people are, you almost can’t blame them for sending the country down the shitter. It’s in their nature, like the scorpion who stings the frog who’s carrying him across the pond. These people live their own lives like it’s 1000 BC; of course they’re going to drag the government back to the bronze age too.
It’s the rest of Bibi’s supporters who disgust me. Simple minded fools who are so scared of Arabs that they’ve just surrendered everything that makes Israel worthwhile to a known criminal just because he promised he’d protect them. The cowardice of the Right never ceases to amaze.
I can only hope that the Israeli people who actually contribute to the economy (so, absolutely none of these religious fanatics, who get military service exemptions and government funding to sit around and argue over bible vevrses) show their immense displeasure swiftly and with a vengence. Let these cowards burn something they care about, like the economy, if they want to take power. Clearly they didn’t care about burning down the rule of law, but maybe when the financial system starts to crash, they’ll pull their heads out of their asses.