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Passover: Pharoah incites Jews' in-fighting over "reform" to deter them from his betraying them to Iranian nuclear weapons


As US Democrat Admin betrays Israel by revising its "red-line' pledges to prevent Iran's nuclear weapons program, a leftist movement incites Israelis to revolt, hoping to preclude a pre-emptive attack
In "Strikes, Protests Rock Israel after Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister," Chris Mitchell reports for CBN about the source of the demonstrations (3/27/23): 
"After a night of nationwide protests, demonstrations and riots surrounding judicial reform and the firing of Israel's defense minister, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering a halt to the immediate passage of legislation to rein in the power of the courts and the legal system. The internal battle has thrust Israel into what many believe is one of the most dangerous times since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago."


Israeli electorate rallies in defense of the Netanyahu gov't resisting leftist revolt 
over the pretense of proposed judicial re-balancing. Tel Aviv, March 30, 2023. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)

Prof. Moshe Koppel, chairman of the Kohelet Policy Forum and one of the architects of judicial reform, speaks about what is actually in the proposal and what it is seeking to fix. 

• Prof. Koppel is worried about the situation surrounding Israel's Supreme Court reform

He said that if the reform collapses, those who supported it will feel that there's really no point in participating in the whole democratic process 

• He is against the override clause, meaning that the Knesset would be able to override a Supreme Court decision with a simple majority of 61 votes

 

The proposed judicial reform in Israel aims to bring more balance and checks to the judiciary, which currently lacks them. The reform includes clarifying the Attorney General's role as an advisor, changing the composition of the panel that appoints justices, outlining legitimate grounds for striking down administrative actions and laws, and allowing the court to use the country's constitution to strike down ordinary statutes under certain conditions. While some find the possibility of the Knesset overriding a court decision worrisome, Prof. Koppel argues that the other parts of the reform bring Israel closer to other democratic countries.  

In this section, Prof. Koppel explains why the judicial reform is needed and what it includes. He notes that currently, the court has no checks and balances on it and also has an attorney general who can push the government around on its behalf, which the reform is trying to amend. The reform has five parts, including clarifying the Attorney General's job as an advisor, changing the composition of the panel to appoint justices to make it less homogeneous, and outlining legitimate grounds for striking down administrative actions and laws. Additionally, the reform establishes that basic laws cannot be struck down, no matter what. Overall, the goal of the reform is to rein in the courts, which currently lack checks and balances, and bring balance to the judiciary. 

Prof. Moshe Koppel said that if the reform collapses, then those who supported it, which is what he sees as a majority of Israelis, will feel that “there’s really no point in participating in the whole democratic process, because in the end, the courts are just going to do whatever they want anyway.” Regarding the selection committee of judges, Koppel said that it is “a catastrophe the way it is now.” “The fact of the matter is that when you have a system in which the people who are already there have a veto over who joins them, it’s always going to pull in the direction of homogeneity; they’re always going to look the same.” “All of a sudden, it is like this coalition of ragtag outsiders won the election, right?


Update: 4/6: Left-wing activists invaded the office of the Kohelet Policy Forum on Sunday in Jerusalem, targeting the free-market think tank that came up with most of the judicial reforms embraced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The protesters initially arrived at the Kohelet offices with a bouquet of flowers, saying they were bringing a delivery to the organization’s management. When a security guard opened the door they burst into the office and remained there until police removed them. Some of the protesters were taken in for questioning.