Criticism of war or judicial reform? Why Netanyahu gets rid of high leaders
Protests continue in Israel.
Tel Aviv, BRATISLAVA. In the fall of 2023 in Israeli They acted mass protests against the government’s efforts to dominate the courts there. They ended up after an attack by a terrorist organization Hamas to the Israeli border areas to which Israel responded by invasion of Gaza bands.
Shortly after that, however, the citizens have gone back to the streets and the protests are still lasting. They ask the end of the war and the return of the hostages whose Hamas refuses to release.
In recent days, this has also been added to the original requirement and renewed concerns about democracy. Parliament approved a law on Thursday, which gives politicians greater powers in the appointment of judges. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He also recently deprived the position of head of the domestic news service and is trying to dismiss the Attorney General.
Opposition leader Jair Lapid on social network X has announced that he would appeal against the latest government steps in the Supreme Court. « Instead of concentrating all efforts on the return of prisoners and the healing of contradictions between people, the government is returning exactly to the legislation that distributed the public before (Hamas attack) from October 7, » he wrote.
In the article you can also read:
- What about the latest recalls is it,
- whether the government wants to get rid of democracy,
- Where she did so, according to the analyst.
Appeal of the Counterintelligence Chief
Netanyahu dismissed Ronen Bara, head of the news service Šin Bet in mid -March. He is in charge of internal security, in her jurisdiction there are also the Gaza Strip, the West Bank of Jordan and East Jerusalem.
« It has informants, is absolutely crucial for the incredibly ubiquitous Israeli supervision of everything that moves on the Palestinian side, » Speaks for the Al-Jazeera portal Daniel Levy . Expert on Middle East and the former advisor to the Israeli government.
The Israeli Parliament approved the controversial reform of the judiciary, the opposition will appeal Read
According to him, Shin Bet is also crucial in solving the question of why Israeli secret services, and hence it herself, underestimated the threat of Hamas and were not enough for his attack from October 7, 2023.
The dismissal of Shin Bet was later blocked by the Supreme Court. For the time being, there is waiting for further interview.
Netanyahu says that the bar had to leave for a « lack of trust » that grows over time. The bar claims that this step is politically motivated.
Shin Bet is investigating several closest Netanyahu co -workers for suspicion of breach of national security, including the release of secret documents to foreign media and receiving money from the Qatar government, which has greatly supported Hamas.
Jakub Záhora, a Czech political scientist and analyst dealing with Israel and Palestine, from Karlovy University in Prague, also agrees with this. He adds that the disputes between the boss of Šen Bet and the Prime Minister also triggered negotiations on the ceasefire with Hamas
« The negotiators of Shin Bet blamed the government for not profitable for hostages, » he told SME.
Remove the Attorney General
The head of Šin Bet was the prosecutor General Gali Baharav-Miara. The cabinet then turned against it.
Last Sunday, he accepted a proposal to declare distrust of the Attorney General and began the process of dismissing her. Netanyahu and his allies blame the Attorney General for undermining confidence in the government.
Gali Baharav-Miara is at the forefront of investigations that Netanyahu blames for corruption, disruption of trust and bribery. He refuses the accusations for a long time.
The Office of the Attorney General has the authority to issue decisions that are legally binding for the government, as the Attorney General is also something like the main legal advisor of the Government. This is one of the few control of executive power in Israel, a country without a formal constitution.
Bahavar-Miara has repeatedly criticized the judicial reform and says that the government is violating the law.
« Disputes with the Attorney General stems from this. In the government, there is a consensus that it should be thrown away because it does not cooperate on the plan to very controversial – and I say moderately – judicial reform, » explains Zahora analyst.
Legal experts agree that the dismissal of the Attorney General will be a longer process, as it is paid by several legal « stopwatch ».
Bahavar-Miara recalled this in a letter she sent to the members of the Cabinet. She added that Netanyahu’s government was trying to stand « beyond the law, to act without control and counterweight, even in the most sensitive moments », which apparently hit the war in the Gaza Strip.
Dual system
Many legal experts and government critics fear that Netanyahu wants to further weaken the judicial system and to put people who will be loyal to him in high positions.
« The Israeli system has its specifics, and independent judicial power is a real brake for executive power. The steps of the current Israeli government is thus aiming at limiting democracy, » says Záhora analyst.
According to him, the government significantly prefers the Jewish population at the expense of non -Jewish, especially Arab. Since 2018, for example, the so -called. The basic law that speaks of Israel as a « Jewish state ».
The situation is different on the occupied West Bank of Jordan, where Israel controls security and borders, it recalls.
« He uses his laws in combination with military regulations, has sovereign power there and there is no democracy, » says Záhora, saying that the Palestinians there cannot vote for the Israeli parliament, even though it fundamentally affects their lives.
Cooperation with the far right
In the middle of March, another hearing was scheduled for Netanyahu’s corruption case. However, after the renewal of the operation in the Gaza Strip, which Israel ended after two months a temporary ceasefire, it was adjourned.
There were therefore comments that the Prime Minister did so on purpose. However, Záhora thinks that there are more political motivations for the restoration of war.
« It is also about taking attention from an attempt at judicial reform that starts again. It is not only Netanyahu’s personal problems, but also an effort to overcome the agenda of the whole government, » he says.
Netanyahu rules only because of the help of the far right -wing ultra -orthodox parties. They are putting pressure on him to completely destroy Hamas, and in the Gaza band could create Jewish settlements that Israel once voluntarily abolished.
Recently, concerns from the far right was also raised by a conference to « combat anti -Semitism » organized by the Israeli government. It was attended by several representatives of European extremism, including the head of the French far -right party National Assembly of Jordan Bardell.
