Protesters’ Tents in Jerusalem
Protests
Saturday night marked the 29th week of protests, but last week protests have been on-going nightly. The critical vote on the first part of the Judicial Reforms, the ‘Reasonableness” bill, will be voted on Monday, July 24th. That’s assuming Prime Minister Netanyahu is released from the hospital, where he was admitted for a heart Pacemaker on Saturday, and can make it to the Knesset for the vote. As of now the coalition has 63 votes including Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said he will abstain, when 61 are needed for the bill to pass.
On Sunday, a day before the crucial vote, a compromise over the “Reasonableness Bill” was proposed by Histadrut (Israel’s labor union) head Arnon Bar David proposed a compromise: A guarantee that 75 Knesset members were needed to pass a bill, like any restricting the High Courts powers, for a least 18 months. Netanyahu’s coalition initially countered with six to eight months, then rejected the compromise outright.
On July 20, 2023, a few hundred protesters gathered in Tel Aviv and started a four-day march to Jerusalem to demonstrate in front of the Knesset when the controversial “Reasonableness” bill, the first step in the Judicial Reforms, comes up for the final vote before it becomes law. A cavalcade of other bills are expected to follow, each chipping away at the High Courts ability to function. And curtail any excess by the government.
On the first night, a few hundred camped out along the way and at each stage more protesters joined until the line of protesters stretched for kilometers and included an estimated 20,000 people. The numbers grew exponentially as the march reached the final destination, Israel’s Knesset in Jerusalem. By Saturday night tens of thousands had reached the Knesset. A tent camp was set up in Gan Sacher just beneath the Knesset. Tents, foam strips for mattresses, water and food were provided by the organizers.
Tent Camp in Gan Sacher, Jerusalem
More protesters had gathered on Saturday night in Tel Aviv where they had blocked Ibn Givrol street. Others had gathered around the country some blocking roads. A few had managed to block the Ayalon Highway that cuts through Tel Aviv. Six were arrested.
Additionally, 1142 Israel Air force reserve pilots and navigators and ground crew declared they would no longer volunteer for reserve duty should the legislation pass.
According to Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet, Government minister Israel Katz of the Likud party dismissed the protests. He said that the “Coalition won’t call off the vote or let protesters make government decisions.” Other coalition heads rejected the Israel Air Force Pilots threats to stop doing reserve duty, calling their protest a ‘coup.’
Eyal Nave, one of the “Brothers in Arms” group leaders, told a press conference that was shown on Channel 12TV that 10,000 reservists have refused to serve any longer in the army should the Judicial Reform’s first bill pass.
Veteran military correspondent Carmela Menashe, on Kan Channel 1, said that “As a citizen I am worried about the future of this country. There has never been anything like this. The Chief of Staff and heads of all the services are meeting in emergency session. This only happens on the eve of war. This period will go down in history.”
According to Ynetnews, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid has said that Netanyahu is now faced with a choice, “The IDF (Israel Defense Force) or the ‘Reasonableness’ bill.” Opposition leader Benny Gantz said that while Netanyahu’s coalition may have 64 seats in the Knesset “he does not have a majority to destroy democracy."
According to the Times of Israel, IDF (Israel Defense Force) Chief of Staff HaLevi said on Sunday that the overhaul debate was splitting the military. “Israel’s existence could be imperiled.”
Former Mossad head Yosi Cohen, a Netanyahu crony, called on Netanyahu to stop the Judicial Reforms for the sake of Israel’s security. Dozens of ex-security chiefs signed a letter saying Netanyahu was directly responsible for any harm that could come to Israel’s security.
Capt. (res) Nevo Erez, former commander of Shayetet 13, Israel’s Seals, and former Mossad official said he would not be able to serve under what he saw as a dictatorship.
A few dozen Military Intelligence reservists sent a letter calling on the government to “Immediately stop the dictatorial moves that violate the contract between the government of Israel and its citizens.”
Aaron Barak, former head of the High Court, said that he did not support the ‘Reasonableness Bill,” and anyone who said otherwise was lying. And that “the Reasonableness bBill weakens the rule of law.”
Dr. S-, a retired history professor who was against the Judicial Reforms, said he opposed the army reservist refusing to serve. “They took an oath to serve and should abide by that oath.”
But, someone pointed out to him, had young men refused to serve in the Wehrmacht on the eve of WWII, perhaps that war could have been prevented. And once in that army, refusing to serve or even escaping was nearly impossible, according to interviews with Wehrmacht veterans.
The protesters calls for Netanyahu to stop the Judicial Reforms will not have any effect said Amichai Stein, Channel 1 Kan’s political reporter, who wears a knit skullcap. He said that in his conversations with the coalition he was told that a few protesters, or a thousand, will not change the minds of those who want Judicial Reforms. “They have climbed this tree and won’t come down because of the protests.”
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has called the push to the legislation part of a ‘coup’ that would ‘crush’ the judiciary and cause ‘tyranny.’
Police officers have also begun resigning because of these Judicial Reforms including top brass. Israel Prison Service commissioner Katy Perry announced on Thursday she would leave her position at the end of the year because of meddling by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Ami Eshed, chief of TA police also resigned in protest over Ben Gvir’s demands that more force be used to break up demonstrations. The list of disaffected technocrats goes on and on. More and more voices are being raised pointing out that Netanyahu is threatening the very existence of the State of Israel.
Tel Aviv Protest
On July 18, protesters called for a “Day Of Resistance” blocking roads and holding a massive protest in central Tel Aviv.
However, Netanyahu supporters continue the mantra that the protests are simply leftists who have not accepted defeat in the election. This in contradiction to the recent polls on Channel 12 Thursday night that the Likud has slipped precipitously in the polls and would not be able to form a coalition and a new government should elections be held today.
Israel’s President Herzog at US Congress
On July 19, 2023 Israel’s President Isaac Herzog spoke to the Congress and said that Democracy was in Israel’s DNA. Later, President Biden called Israel’s PM Netanyahu and invited him to the White House, something Biden has been avoiding for months. According to Netanyahu’s spokespeople, the subject of the Judicial Reforms did not arise.
However, NYTimes columnist Tom Friedman reported that the subject did indeed arise and Netanyahu was told not to push forward with the Judicial Reforms unless he had a general consensus on the issues. Analysts say that Netanyahu is putting the close ties to the USA at risk through these Judicial Reforms.
According to media reports, the USA has told Netanyahu that establishing ties with other Arab countries like Saudi Arabia cannot advance while these Judicial Reforms are on the table. And as long as Netanyahu allows ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritch to declare that old settlements in the West Bank would be expanded and new ones built.
Media reports that as of late ultra-nationalist Bezalel Smotritch, as Finance Minister, has been shifting monies earmarked for endeavors like support for disabled children, or monies for Arab councils, to pay for the construction of new settlements in the West Bank.
Many observers say that none of the protests seems to have any effect on Netanyahu. On Thursday night he spoke on Israel TV assuring the public that the Judicial Reforms were good for Democracy. He claimed he’d tried to have negotiations with the opposition who had spurned his entreaties.
However, opposition leader Benny Gantz said that there was no approach to hold negotiations or reach a compromise
Avigdor Leiberman (L) Benny Gantz (C) Yair Lapid (R)
According to the Times of Israel, opposition leaders castigated Netanyahu for a speech filled with “lies and incitement.”Lapid, Gantz called on Netanyahu to “halt legislation and return to compromise talks before ‘civil war’ breaks out.” Former Netanyahu ally Avigdor Leiberman said the “only solution is new government, constitution.”
Netanyahu will meet Turkish leader Erdogan in the coming days. One analyst quipped, “The dictator meets a wannabe. Maybe Bibi is looking for tips.” Another analyst speculated, “It seems to be that Netanyahu has been enacting a charade from the very beginning of the push for Judicial Reforms, allowing speculation that Justice Minister Yariv Levin and head of the Knesset Judicial Committee Simcha Rothman were the ones pushing for the reforms and that he was struggling to contain them. In fact,” speculates the analysts, “it was Netanyahu, guided by either his wife Sarah or son Yair or both, pushing for the reforms all along hiding behind the smoke screen set up by Levin and Rothman.”
However, many found this scenario far-fetched. Dr. A, a legal scholar involved in the protest said, “I’ve been in touch with several Knesset members and even Likud party members. No one knows what Bibi is thinking. There is no consensus except that most believe Bibi doesn’t think more than 24-hours ahead. He goes from crises to crises. He is not a long term strategist.”
Dr. S, the retired history professor said, “I don’t buy it. I don’t think Bibi thinks long-term.”
However, other analysts agree that someone seems to be behind Netanyahu. “Maybe Sarah? Maybe Yair. Maybe someone else is drawing up the plans and Bibi is just the star of the movie?”
One observer pointed out that Justice Minister Levin has frequently said he would leave the coalition should the push for Judicial Reform be halted. This would threaten Netanyahu’s ability to keep his government in power as others in favor of the reforms would join Levin.
However, the analyst said, not so fast. Netanyahu has always wanted the reforms to go through. And not to keep himself out of jail.”
Reports from the courts say that Netanyahu’s three felony trials for corruption and breach of trust will drag on until 2029 with appeals. This analyst said that many critics have supported the idea that Netanyahu’s goal in these Judicial Reforms was to stay out of jail. Now, it seems as if Netanyahu resists all efforts at compromise because his goal is to become a dictator in all aspects but not in name. He firmly believes, according to observers, that only he can save the country from collapse. And that he’s placed others, true believers in his abilities, like Justice Minister Levin, Finance Minister Smotritch, National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, in positions where should he decide to become a dictator they will support him.
Media sources say that Judicial Reforms will allow him to override any court decision on his own without a Knesset vote. To appoint whom he likes to whatever position he likes. He could hire and fire at will. Should the heads of the Army and Defense Ministry resign he could appoint Bezalel Smotritch to take their place since Netanyahu had already appointed Smotritch as a Deputy Minister in the Defense Ministry.
Itamar Ben Gvir as National Security Minister would be able to issue order to the police to keep protesters off the streets even by force should Netanyahu decide that was the proper action to take. Both appointments, observers say, now appear to have been well thought out in advance of Netanyahu’s ‘coup.’
Lastly, according to media reports, the High Court will probably not take action should the “Reasonableness Bill” pass next week since the court has never interfered in a government decision that deals with an amendment to the Basic Law. And, said one observer, should the High Court rule the Reasonableness Bill illegal, the right-wing has already “primed their supporters” to take action.
“We are approaching a watershed,” said one pundit. “This may not end well at all.” Netanyahu could still stop the process, the pundit added. But agrees with the other analysts that it is becoming clearer that Netanyahu’s goal all along seems to be to put on a charade of trying to stop the Judicial Reforms, or at least moderate them, when he was actually the architect not Rothman or Levin. “He’s ignored the protests. He’s ignored the resignation of pilots.” They pointed out Netanyahu’s statement ‘We can do without a few squadrons.’
The analysts continued, “He’s ignored Nadav Argaman (Shin Bet chief from 2016-2021) who said in a radio interview that General HaLevi, IDF chief, and the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad should tell Netanyahu: ‘Enough.’ But Netanyahu supporters claimed that Argaman has been “brainwashed.”
According to one analyst, Netanyahu is also ignoring US President’s Biden’s appeals. He’s ignoring criticism that he was leading a ‘coup.’ “That’s because it seems that’s exactly what he has been doing from the beginning,” said the analyst.
The vote on the “Reasonableness Bill” is scheduled for Monday July 23, 2023 and is expected to pass despite the protests. The question is: what comes next?
Terrorism
A resident of the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem in his 30’s was stabbed on Friday over 20 times. He is in critical condition in Shaare Tzedek Hospital. Meanwhile, Israel’s enemies on the borders are watching the developments in Israel with a smile on their faces, say observers. Hezbollah terror chief Nasrallah has predicted that Israel may have lasted 75 years but won’t last much longer.
Crime
The crime wave continues. 125 Arab Israelis have been killed so far this year, some over protection racketeering, some over territorial gang wars, some innocent bystanders. The police have been seemingly powerless to stop the crime wave. Criticism has been leveled against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for not doing enough to stop the crime wave.
Health
Prime Minister Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital on Shabbat July 15th apparently after losing consciousness while on a boat excursion in the Sea of Galilee. Netanyahu spokespeople said that he was suffering from dehydration, however medical personal at the hospital reported that a heart monitor was installed in his chest and that there was no sign of dehydration. Critics say this is just another example of Netanyahu’s inability to tell the truth under any circumstances.
On Saturday, July 22nd, Netanyahu was again rushed to the hospital when his heart monitor showed he was in distress. He underwent emergency surgery to implant a Pacemaker and was reportedly doing well and expected in the Knesset for the vote.
According to Ynetnews, Netanyahu has long been suffering with an irregular heat beat and has been hiding his medical condition from the public.