Is civil war coming to Israhell?

[yankeedoodle]

Israeli president: 'We are on the brink of constitutional and social collapse'
President Herzog said that the Israeli political system has become a 'powder keg'
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israeli-president-'we-are-on-the-brink-of-constitutional-and-social-collapse'-7C8Hic0N0Y1vUTOXZ7Z2uQ?reloadTime=1676306617340

Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a dramatic intervention in the row over judicial reform in a nationwide address to Israelis on Sunday night.

"We are in the midst of fateful days for our nation and for our country," he said in the televised address. "We have for quite some time now not been in a political debate but on the brink of constitutional and social collapse.

"I feel—we all feel—that we are just before a clash, even a violent clash—a powder keg—and we are on the threshold of one man's hand against his brother's," he added.

Herzog expressed sympathy with both sides of the debate, saying those in favor of reform "feel that an imbalance has developed between the branches [of government] and lines have been crossed for years," while those against reform see it "as a real threat to Israeli democracy. They fear that the reform in its current form erases and devours all checks and balances."

To ignore the pain and fears of either side would be "a grave mistake," he said.

The Israeli president presented five principles as "a basis for immediate and decisive negotiations that will arrange the relations between the government branches."

He first proposed the passage of a constitution that would establish "constitutional stability" by clarifying the relations among the three branches and between various laws.

He also said the number of judges must be increased to decrease judicial workload, and the courts must be made to function more efficiently so that cases won't drag on. And he urged a change in the way judges are selected so that no branch of government has a majority say in choosing them.

In his final principle, Herzog took a position advocated by proponents of reform, arguing against the judicial rationale of "reasonability," whereby judges can overturn laws based on whether they consider them "reasonable."

"An unrestricted use of the pretext of reasonableness could become the basis for a disproportionate entry of the judicial authority into the exclusive territory designated for the executive and legislative branches," he said.

Herzog concluded by saying he's "ready to do everything...to resolve this difficult dispute," including appearing before the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee "in an unprecedented and exceptional manner in order to present the proposed principles in depth."





Scenes of chaos during a Constitution Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on February 13, 2023.

Chaos in Knesset while 70,000 protest outside as government advances judicial crackdown
Protesters were chanting "shame" and "this isn't Hungary" in a mass demonstration outside Israel's parliament.
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/tens-of-thousands-protest-outside-knesset-as-government-advances-judicial-crackdown/

At least 70,000 Israelis demonstrated outside The Knesset on Monday as the government advanced its judicial reforms that will significantly weaken the High Court of Justice.

The entire area surrounding the Knesset was blocked, with demonstrators shouting "shame" and "this isn't Hungary" in yet another show of contempt for Prime Minister Netanuyahu's government, which so far has refused to compromise on its judicial reforms.

Extra trains were called in to transport thousands of protesters from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, while a nationwide strike was held by workers from the high-tech sector, law firms and private companies. Some 300 tech companies and venture capital funds encouraged their workers to demonstrate.

Israeli protestors outside Knesset, Israel. Credit: Jewish News.
Speaking to Jewish News outside The Knesset, David Lenitz from the central Israeli city of Ra'anana, said he was still optimistic that the judicial overhaul could be stopped.

"Eventually they will feel the pressure. I haven't seen anything like this in Israel before. The amount of people that show up every week to these protests really surprised me. Protest WhatsApp groups just exploded within hours when they announced their reform plan (in early January)," Lenitz said.

https://twitter.com/mrconfino/status/1625062565322563585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1625062565322563585%7Ctwgr%5E36ce3faf978876cf40bfd9abeae6d0b3b8e95dcd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jewishnews.co.uk%2Ftens-of-thousands-protest-outside-knesset-as-government-advances-judicial-crackdown%2F

In between the sea of Israeli flags, numerous signs depicted Hungary's Victor Orban alongside Netanyahu, a clear message to the government that its reforms will remove the checks and balances needed in a liberal democracy and thus turn Israel into a country like Hungary.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid addressed the protest, saying: "We will not stay quiet. We will not stay quiet as they destroy everything that is precious and sacred to us."

"They hear us, and suddenly discover that we're not ready to play the game the way they planned it. We're not here just to pay taxes," he added.

Netanyahu lashed out at the opposition and the protesters in a video message after the protests, saying: "The opposition is going wild in the Knesset and its lawmakers are jumping on chairs, (Tel Aviv Mayor) Ron Huldai is expressly inciting violence, and in the left-wing protest they are calling the prime minister a traitor. Get a grip. Show responsibility and leadership."

Netanyahu referred to the drama that occurred on Monday morning at the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee where some opposition lawmakers jumped over the table, shouting "shame" at chairman Simcha Rhotman.

Following the mass demonstration and President Herzog's appeal to all parties to reach a compromise on the reforms, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Simcha Rhotman, issued a joint statement, inviting both Lapid and Gantz to meet at Herzog's office to negotiate.

Rhotman and Levin are seen as the architects of the reforms, and the most aggressively pushing for a dramatic overhaul of the system, while other Likud lawmakers have expressed a willingness to tone down some of the changes.

Israel's lack of a constitution has given the High Court power to strike down legislation passed in Knesset if they were seen as harmful to civil and human rights.

Likud, as well as the ultra-orthodox and far-right parties in the coalition, see the High Court as the long arm of the "left-wing elite" which has struck down bills unnecessarily throughout the years.

https://twitter.com/mrconfino/status/1625038367715913728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1625038367715913728%7Ctwgr%5E36ce3faf978876cf40bfd9abeae6d0b3b8e95dcd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jewishnews.co.uk%2Ftens-of-thousands-protest-outside-knesset-as-government-advances-judicial-crackdown%2F

For Netanyahu's government, the reforms are needed to "strengthen" Israel's democracy. A government representing the majority of the people should be able to pass any legislation it wants, according to them.

This, however, has been widely criticised by the High Court itself, the attorney general, the high-tech sector, top economists, university presidents and former high ranking security and intelligence officials.

One particular issue has been raised in recent weeks, namely the economic ramifications of the judicial overhaul, especially after top economists warned that it would scare foreign investors.

"What the government really needs is our money. So if companies stop investing in Israel, they will change their minds," Lenitz said.

Dan Rador, an Israeli man in his 40's, also came to the demonstration on Monday with an Israeli flag in his hand, backing up the claim made by top economists. "Investors aren't big fans of dictatorships," he told Jewish News.

Benny Gantz, leaded of the National Unity party, welcomed the mass demonstration on Monday, saying: "Just because you have the majority, you don't have the authority to do whatever you want. Just like if you were a bus driver, you can't write the rules of the road."

Gantz went on to say that his party is "calling for discussion" but that there won't be any "until this crazy process stops," referring to the legislative blitz.

[yankeedoodle]

"I have heard real, deep hatred," Herzog said in an address carried on primetime TV. "I have heard people from all sides saying that, God forbid, blood in the streets will not shock them."

Don't you think it's about time Israhell had some "hate crime" laws?  But, maybe not, because, the more they hate each other, the better.   

Israeli President Isaac Herzog warns of a looming, bloody 'real civil war' amid battle over court reform
https://www.jta.org/2023/03/15/politics/israeli-president-isaac-herzog-warns-of-a-looming-bloody-real-civil-war

Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned of the possibility of civil war if the governing coalition won't agree to a compromise on its judicial reform legislation.

The statement is one of the most dire pronouncements by a senior Israeli official about the tumultuous fallout from the judicial proposal, which has sparked fierce debate, months of street protests and civil disobedience. And it is a stunning pronouncement from Herzog, a public figure known for congeniality, who holds a position that has historically been defined by restraint.

"I have heard real, deep hatred," Herzog said in an address carried on primetime TV. "I have heard people from all sides saying that, God forbid, blood in the streets will not shock them."

Herzog, whose compromise proposals were already being rejected by the government, said his warning should terrify every Israeli.

"He who thinks that a real civil war, one that costs lives, is a line we won't reach, is out of touch," he said. "In this moment, of all moments, in the 75th year of the state of Israel, the abyss is within reach."

The speech, as chilling as it was, did not appear likely to head off the intensifying unrest. The opposition welcomed Herzog's proposed compromise, while government figures rejected it.

Israel has been rocked by weeks of protests against the reforms proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which would sap the Supreme Court of much of its power and independence. More recently, the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir — who has professed admiration for Meir Kahane, a rabbi barred from Israel's parliament in the 1980s because of his racism — has ordered police crackdowns on protesters.

The speech was extraordinary in part because the role of president is mostly ceremonial. The president, in recent years, has been seen as a conciliator in Israel's fractious society.

Additionally, Herzog, a former leader of the Israeli Labor Party and chairman of the Jewish Agency, is seen as a compromiser. In 2021, when the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, elected him in a secret ballot, he won a larger majority than any of his predecessors, drawing support from the left and the right.

The legislation advanced by Netanyahu's coalition would allow a simple majority of the Knesset to override Supreme Court decisions, and would give the coalition complete control over the selection of the court's judges.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly defended the rights of vulnerable populations in Israel, including Arab Israelis, LGBTQ people, non-Orthodox Jews and women. Netanyahu's supporters say the proposed changes put necessary brakes on an activist judiciary while empowering the country's right-wing majority, while critics at home and abroad — including President Joe Biden, top Democrats in Congress and portions of the Jewish organizational establishment in the United States — say they threaten Israel's democracy.

With his speech, Herzog unveiled a proposed compromise, which would balance judicial and political interests in selecting judges. Proponents of reform say the system now allows judges too much power in choosing their replacements, and want to give the upper hand to the governing coalition.

Herzog's compromises also include advancing a law that would make it harder to pass the "basic laws" that comprise Israel's constitution. Basic laws currently require a bare majority of 61 of 120 members to pass. Herzog's proposal would preserve the 61-vote threshold for each of the first three votes, but would also add a fourth and final reading requiring a two-thirds majority of 80 Knesset members.

His compromise would also reduce the power of the Supreme Court to review laws the Knesset passes, but would not go as far as Netanyahu's proposals to gut judicial review. Under Herzog's system, for instance, the court would not review basic laws, which would require more votes to pass. Herzog also proposed a basic law to protect the rights of vulnerable populations.

Government figures immediately rejected Herzog's proposal. "It's worse than the current situation," said Shlomo Karhi, the communications minister, on Twitter. "We can't accept it." Opposition leaders, meanwhile, welcomed the proposal and said it could serve as a basis for a negotiated compromise.

[yankeedoodle]

Netanyahu's moves stir fears of 'civil war' between Israeli Jews
Brace yourself -- the next Israeli government will be even more rightwing. That's because the high tech sector in Tel Aviv, which leads the current protest movement, is a small minority of Jewish Israel.
https://mondoweiss.net/2023/03/netanyahus-moves-stir-fears-of-civil-war-between-israeli-jews/?

Today the Israeli government advanced legislation to prevent a prime minister from being removed by the courts– sparking more mass Jewish protests of the "coup" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.

Netanyahu's moves are prompting fears of civil war. The Israel president warned of "civil war" last week and said "the abyss is in touching distance."

That war would reflect the stark divide in Jewish Israeli society between the high-tech industry in Tel Aviv and the rest of the country. The high-tech sector is today leading the "revolt" against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul and even calling for international divestment.

An advertisement for Mondoweiss's new in-depth video report titled, On The Brink: Jenin's Rising Resistance. It features an aerial photo of Jenin with the mountains in the background. On the right hand side is an image from the video of Palestinian resistance fighters marching through the city.

But Netanyahu retains a strong parliamentary majority. Religious Jews now dominate Israeli Jewish politics, and their numbers are growing, explains Amir Mizroch, a communications consultant for high-tech businesses.

The orthodox have the highest Jewish birth rate in Israel, and the next Israeli government will be even more rightwing than the current government, Mizroch says:

"The next government is going to be even more religious. The next government after that might not even need Likud, their electoral power is going to be so huge."

Currently, Netanyahu's Likud has 32 seats in the government, and religious Zionist parties–including the burgeoning fascistic party led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir at 14 — have another 32 seats.

Israel is sliding toward an authoritarian system for its Jewish citizens, and there could be a "civil war" between the two groups of Jews, Mizroch lamented, speaking to fellow Israeli Neri Zilber on March 6 for the Israel lobby group Israel Policy Forum. (Just what the late Yossi Gurvitz long predicted.)

Divestment is already affecting the Israeli economy. International investors are "extremely worried about the direction this government is going" and thinking twice or three times about funding Israeli startups, Mizroch said. Up to 4 billion of tech industry money has reportedly been moved to banks abroad. The biggest names in the world in high-tech investing fear that Israel is sliding from a "western style democracy" toward "on the optimistic side something like Hungary or Poland."

"Money could dry up here over a period of a couple of years, and if this [judicial reform] goes through, and there are more scenes of riots, and there is more internal chaos– this government is fanning the flames of hatred everywhere in the world– there is also just craziness going on in the settlements. When you open your newspaper, Are you happy to put 100s of billions of dollars of teachers pensions to work on bets on Israeli startups– that's where people's minds are right now."

A dedicated Zionist, Mizroch described a rift in Israeli society between Tel Aviv and the "great majority" of the country. The vaunted "startup nation" only employs 10 percent of the Israeli workforce, 400,000 employees, and those companies are focused on markets in foreign countries – making high tech more likely to "float off like a zeppelin moored here."

A lot of tech employees are "scared" and considering leaving the country. Their companies are funding the demonstrations, Zilber said, and blazoning their headquarters with massive signs opposing judicial overhaul, and their executives are coming "down from their towers" to join the marches.

Mizroch observed the divide between the two Jewish Israel's when he and his wife attended the funeral of a Jew from Connecticut who was killed in the West Bank last month, and there were more than 10,000 mostly religious people there. "My wife is all in on the protests," Mizroch said. "And she said, These are not the people you see at the rallies in Tel Aviv. There's a whole other country here. They... don't go to the protests."'

Mizroch then warned of a civil war:

"I see this and I feel really scared. This would be fine if we were in Belgium or the Nordics. We could have even a civil war here– even though that's extremely far fetched, it feels like the divisions are really, really stark and people can't talk to each other.... There's a very clear divide on religious, political, ethnic lines.... I see the lines hardening,

Mizroch said that Jews have a historical tendency "to push the self-destruct button," and he cited the destruction of the two temples in ancient times and said Israel is at this point "in our life cycle."

Like others in the tech industry who are outraged over Netanyahu's plans, Mizroch had nothing to say about the treatment of Palestinians by Israel. And, of course, while he endorses forms of boycott and divestment over judicial changes, he would never endorse BDS for human rights violations. (He grew up in South Africa as apartheid gave way to democracy, then moved to Israel 23 years ago because he felt South Africa was becoming a failed state.)

The Israel Policy Forum had another podcast recently with journalist Tal Schneider, in which she also expressed panic about Jewish Israel's descent from privilege toward the status of failed states, and how that will affect her life.

I'm very worried, I'm very stressed. ... I know things happened in many other countries where deterioration happened very fast and people were not able to use their own money. We have just seen in Lebanon a situation where in a couple of years people lost all their values and all of their assets and they can't even go to the bank to get their money in order to pay for medicines. I don't think we are headed totally in that direction, but obviously things can take a downturn... We are not there yet. This is maybe too panicking at the moment.. But the atmosphere of all the high tech companies pulling their assets, that is a little bit scary I have to tell you....

When we were kids we were not allowed to take money out of the country... It's been decades since those limitations. Israel was not a member of the global economic elite. Those days, it's ... 30 or 40 years ago. I don't think we're headed in that direction, but we all have seen things take a deep turn in Argentina for example. I don't want Israel to end up being corrupt and deprived of funds like Argentina. This is an example for me. Or Turkey where a country that was a democratic state and it took a turn to become a more religious, less freedom. We remember Turkey from our youth when it was more open and more secular... They took a turn... That's a huge problem.

This is a reminder of why American Israel lobby groups have enforced a ban in the U.S. mainstream on describing Israel as an apartheid country, though countless human rights groups have reached that conclusion. Acknowledging apartheid strengthens the Palestinian call for BDS, boycott, divestment, and sanctions. And we see from these comments what a threat divestment represents to a society that has gotten used to a standard of living that exceeds those of countries in western Europe.