Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Nov 11, 2024

0:00
0:00

Who’s Threatening Israeli Democracy?

Wall Street Journal, The Editorial Board
Israel’s Supreme Court makes the best case for its own reform.

Every time a right-wing government wins an election these days, the immediate refrain from the dominant global media is that it’s a threat to democracy. Israel’s new government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is getting this treatment now, and a brawl over that country’s Supreme Court illustrates why the issue is more complicated than the media narrative.

Israel’s Supreme Court has more power than America’s but without the democratic checks. Unbound by any constitution, and loosed from requirements of standing and justiciability, Israel’s court strikes down laws that it finds merely “unreasonable,” which can cover most anything. Israel’s court even has a veto on the appointment of new justices, in contrast to the U.S. where the President and Senate share the appointment power.

On Wednesday the Israeli Supreme Court revoked the appointment of Aryeh Deri, leader of the Shas party, as a senior cabinet minister. The court can point to no law that keeps Mr. Deri out of the cabinet, but it still decided to abrogate the democratic process, decapitating the new coalition government that made court reform a campaign issue. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan raised concern about those reforms with Mr. Netanyahu in a meeting Thursday.

The court ruled it “unreasonable in the extreme” to appoint Mr. Deri to the cabinet, citing his 1999 graft convictions and 2022 suspended sentence for tax offenses. Yet many voters evidently found it reasonable to return Mr. Deri, a tribune of working-class Mizrahi Jews from Arab lands, to office, as did the Prime Minister who appointed him. The court may be making the sounder judgment on character, but in a democracy that decision is left to voters and the politicians they elect.

Under a previous law, Mr. Deri would have been barred from leading a ministry for seven years after his suspended sentence. But the Knesset recently amended that law to apply only to those who serve prison time. By vetoing the appointment anyway, the court interferes with the power of the people to pick their leaders, via a legislature that makes the law and an executive who fills out the cabinet.

The justices also argued that Mr. Deri’s prior statements to a court suggesting he was retiring from politics might have influenced his sentencing. Well, politicians lie, and political retirement wasn’t a condition of his plea deal. If it had been, there could be a criminal remedy, not a political one.

Mr. Deri now has to resign or be dismissed. The coalition would crumble if his Shas party withdraws, but if cooler heads prevail, they will find opportunity. With this action, the court has provided clear evidence of its overreach, making the best argument for the Israeli right’s judicial reforms.

The wisdom of the reform proposals varies, but it isn’t “antidemocratic” to think Israel’s Supreme Court needs democratic checks on its power. The danger is that the court will next reject as unreasonable any reforms to the court itself. Eminences in the West might cheer such a move all the way to a constitutional crisis. They would do better to concede that Israeli democracy has proved to be resilient, often under the most trying circumstances. If the Netanyahu government overreaches, the voters will get their say again.


Article by the Wall Street Journal, The Editorial Board

Pictures by the Democracy for Israel Movement 


# Yariv Levin # Amir Ohana # Shlomo Karhi # Daniel Friedmann # Ruth Gavison # The Reagan Institute # Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights

Comments

Daniel 2 year ago
Shame on Israel’s Supreme Court!!
Oh ya 2 year ago
Nuttynatzoo is like a bad rash. It never seems to go away.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Taking Shape: No Invitations Issued to Nikki Haley or Mike Pompeo
Iranian Man Charged in Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump
£3 Billion of British Taxpayer Money Spent by UK Government on Hotel Costs for Migrants
Unlike the shock and profound sadness at 10 Downing Street, British citizens assembled for an impressive rally backing the elected President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Elon Musk Predicts Justin Trudeau's Electoral Defeat
Here's why: Scott Presley convinced swing voters in Pennsylvania with a clear and direct question.
Royal Estates Earning Millions from Public Services and Charities
Siemens Acquires Altair Engineering in $10.6 Billion Deal
The man who got hit by a bus and immediately went back to the pub is strong! Beer is very important.
Donald Trump files $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, accusing them of 'deceptively doctoring' Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview
Formal Address for Meghan Markle at Invictus Games
Understanding the US Electoral College System
Apple Launches AI Features on Select iPhones
JP Morgan Sued Customers Over Viral Cheque Fraud Scheme
King Charles to Continue Global Tours Despite Cancer Diagnosis
Venice Extends Tourist Entry Fee Program to 2025
Tommy Robinson Charged Under Terrorism Act for Phone Offence
Plans to Increase Employers' National Insurance Announced
Washington Post Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan has RESIGNED after owner Jeff Bezos BARRED the endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Massive Theft of Artisan Cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy
US Man Charged with Murder of Co-Worker over Breaks
Carbon Monoxide Incident Claims Lives at UK Care Home
Birmingham Airport Evacuated Due to Suspicious Vehicle
Former US President Barack Obama raps the lyrics to Eminem's ‘Lose Yourself’ after the rapper introduces him at a Kamala Harris rally in Detroit
KYIV URGES NORTH KOREAN TROOPS IN UKRAINE TO SURRENDER
Ofcom Identifies Link Between Social Media Posts and UK Unrest
Russian Boxer Receives Lifetime Ban for Illegal Move in Boxing Debut
Biden Labels Trump a Threat to Democracy
McDonald's Linked to E. coli Outbreak Leading to One Death
Teacher Enoch Burke arrested at Wilson’s Hospital School in Ireland after refusing to endorse and affirm transgender ideology.
FBI Investigates Leak of US Intelligence on Israeli Strike Plans
Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah's Financial Resources
China’s Baidu is revolutionizing transportation with its robotaxi service
Angela Rayner Secures Permanent Seat on UK National Security Council
Russian Ambassador Claims UK's Proxy War in Ukraine
Doctor Advocates for Assisted Dying Law Reform
Ruth Davis Appointed as UK’s First Nature Envoy
Pressure Mounts on Starmer to Discuss Reparations at Commonwealth Summit
James Cleverly’s Costly In-Flight Catering for Government Trips
AI Regulation Takes Center Stage in 2024 US Presidential Campaign
NASA Study Explores Potential Microbial Life Beneath Mars' Ice
Cats: The Liquid-Like Pets
Netanyahu Condemns Alleged Hezbollah Assassination Attempt
Liam Payne's Tragic Death: Tributes Pour In
Cuba's Power Struggles: Nationwide Blackout Strikes Again
Xi Jinping Urges Troops to Prepare for Conflict Amid Taiwan Drills
Farage Supported by US PR Team Linked to Steve Bannon
Controversy Over MP's Comments on Female Candidate's Family Responsibilities
Highlights from the Conservative Leadership Contest TV Debate
Childminder Jailed for Inciting Racial Hatred After Southport Attack
×