Europe News Desk!! Israel’s parliament has given preliminary approval to several pieces of legislation, including a bill protecting the prime minister from disqualification from office and another allowing settlements in the northwestern West Bank. Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, introduced a bill into parliament on March 14 that would allow lawmakers to pass laws that the Supreme Court cannot overturn. It is a key piece of legislation in a proposed judicial overhaul by the Benjamin Netanyahu government and his allies that has divided the country. New legislation aimed at weakening the Supreme Court passed the first reading as well as a bill that would protect the PM from removal and another that would allow more settlements in northern Israel. These laws have been passed despite months of protests against the first law. The Knesset worked until the morning of March 14 to pass the first part of the bill, which has been one of the main priorities of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his governing coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox religious parties.
Controversial Bill Earlier, Monday night marked another victory for Netanyahu as a bill was introduced into parliament that would make it harder to remove the prime minister over corruption charges that still hang over him. The bill would allow parliament to declare a prime minister unfit to rule simply for physical or mental reasons and replace existing legislation that allows a court or parliament to remove a leader in other circumstances. The new bill would need three-quarters approval of the government, and could be overridden by the prime minister. The proposed change to rules that remove the prime minister is of personal importance to Netanyahu, who returned to power late last year after Israel’s fifth election in less than four years.
He is facing trial on charges of cheating, breach of trust and taking a bribe and denies the charges. The action went on for about three years. Another bill taking first reading would allow more settlements in the northern occupied West Bank, thereby legalizing settlement outposts considered illegal even under Israeli law. The vote comes just weeks after Israelis stormed a Palestinian town last month, killing one person and torching dozens of homes and cars. Settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are already considered illegal under international law. Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up about 20 percent of the population, have been largely absent from the protests, as they suffer discrimination in Israel and Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Reasons to do Israelis have killed at least 70 Palestinians this year under Israel’s new government, many of them during Israeli military raids. This brings the total number of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank last year to more than 220.
Criticism of Bills
The moves were the latest in a series of moves by Netanyahu’s coalition to overhaul Israel’s legal system. The prime minister and his allies say the effort is aimed at reigniting an active court. Critics say the campaign will undermine the country’s democratic checks and balances, discredit the Supreme Court and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his parliamentary majority. Speaking to members of his Likud party on Monday, Netanyahu told Israeli media Attacking them saying that they are broadcasting a never ending tsunami of fake news against them. He reiterated his claim that the legal changes would strengthen Israeli democracy. We can find echoes of these sentiments elsewhere as well. Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and religious coalition partners have vowed to push through legal changes despite demonstrations by thousands of Israeli protesters over the past two months. Business leaders, legal experts and retired military leaders have joined protests against the judicial overhaul, and Israeli reservists have threatened to stop reporting for duty if the overhaul passes.
Opposition MP Ornabarbiwai said the bill was an affront, saying the prime minister is above the law. Nathan Sachs, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute, described the law as the most far-reaching revolution in the state’s constitutional framework. According to him, this proposal would end the Supreme Court’s role as the sole control over executive and legislative power in Israel. In Netanyahu’s new Israel, the slimmest majority can decide anything, he said in short, and this is pure, unbridled majoritarianism. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turkhas raised a number of concerns that this could pose a serious threat to the effectiveness of the judiciary to protect the rule of law, human rights and judicial independence.
The Israeli opposition is also against the bills, with Yerlapid, the leader of the opposition, saying that we are fighting for the future of our country, for the future of our children. We do not intend to give up. Tech sector leaders have warned that weakening the judiciary could turn away investors. The overhaul has prompted apathetic former security chiefs to speak out and the plan has even sparked warnings of civil war.
–IANS
SGK/ANM
World News Desk!!!