Free Republic

For Israel’s embattled but newly combative liberals, the fight against authoritarianism and ethnonationalism now takes place not only in the Knesset and the Supreme Court, but on buses, in city squares and in quiet residential streets..... Paywall It was a perfect tableau of Israel in the days of Netanyahu’s.....

New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that he does not believe that it is his place to interfere in matters of internal Israeli politics during his visit to the Jewish State this week. "I think the people of Israel will determine their destiny," Adams said during a briefing to reporters this evening (Tuesday). He explained that he met with anti-judicial reform protestors because he believes "it was important to hear from both sides," adding that he "did not give my opinion one way or another." "I wouldn't want others to tell me how to run" New York City, he...

President Joe Biden has reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop pushing through a “divisive” judicial overhaul bill amid protests. This is the same Biden, incidentally, who crammed through a massive, highly “divisive,” generational spending bill with zero votes from the opposition; the same guy who regularly rules by unconstitutional executive diktats; and the same guy who has done more to delegitimize the Supreme Court than any president in modern history. In any event, the president is concerned. As is The New York Times, which reports, “The Israeli Parliament passed a deeply contentious law limiting the Supreme Court’s...

President Joe Biden has reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop pushing through a “divisive” judicial overhaul bill amid protests. This is the same Biden, incidentally, who crammed through a massive, highly “divisive,” generational spending bill with zero votes from the opposition; the same guy who regularly rules by unconstitutional executive diktats; and the same guy who has done more to delegitimize the Supreme Court than any president in modern history. In any event, the president is concerned. As is The New York Times, which reports, “The Israeli Parliament passed a deeply contentious law limiting the Supreme Court’s...

The judicial reform debate uncovers widespread Israeli distrust in political leadership Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government passed the first piece of its judicial reform legislation last Monday. The judicial reforms, first unveiled by Justice Minister Yariv Levin in January, have been a point of contention. Protests began the weekend after the judicial reforms were announced. From the start, acommon theme of the protests has been a strong anti-Netanyahu component. One of the protest groups, predating the reforms, is called “Crime Minister.”

Richard Goldberg @rich_goldberg: Will the White House now be issuing Statements of Administration Policy for legislation passed in every democratic country, or just for Israel? I hadn't seen one on the French pension reform, so maybe it's new policy. Asking for all the hard-working people in Leg Affairs. Jul 24, 2023 *: Did Biden issue any advice for the non democracy side? You know, the ones in Ramallah or Gaza? The racist pay-for-slay blood cult?

Judicial reform is not an attack on democracy, it's the downfall of a tyranny. The vast gap between leftist hysteria and what it’s actually fighting can be easily spotted when it omits discussing the specifics of the case. Take the leftist clamor over ‘book bans’. Then ask them specifically what books are being banned in the majority of cases and then they suddenly have to defend the graphic pornographic content in books like Gender Queer. The Israeli left, political elites and media allies have been howling that Israel’s democracy is being destroyed because of democratic judicial reforms that would stop...

The Israeli parliament parted ways with President Biden on Monday in taking its explosive vote to weaken Israel's Supreme Court, rebuffing weeks of pleas from the president not to do so without first building consensus..."It is unfortunate that the vote took place today," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a gentle but unmistakable rebuke. "It happened with the slimmest possible majority."

Cops clear protesters off highway, masses remain at interchange. Police have managed to clear all protesters off the Ayalon freeway after pushing them to the side of the road... Police may deploy stun guns to clear highway-report... Police on horseback begin pushing protesters back... Former PM Olmert after passage of overhaul bill: We are entering a "civil war"... Police rush thousands blocking Tel Aviv highway, as chaos over overhaul escalates... Kibbutz security chief fires gun in air during fight with pro-overhaul protesters, 7 detained... PA premier: Israeli society paying price for silence over crimes against Palestinians... US envoy meets with...

Israel’s parliament, or Knesset, passed the first of several judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Monday, defying protests and pressure from the White House. The new law prevents courts from using their own idea of “reasonableness” in blocking government policies. Critics had long argued that the “reasonableness” doctrine allowed the left-leaning judiciary to abuse its power, and that it tended to do so more often against Israel’s conservative governments. Netanyahu came out of hospital on Monday morning, where he had been fitted with a pacemaker over the weekend, to attend the vote. Hundreds of thousands of...

Amid talk of possible compromise, US president says 'it doesn't make sense for Israeli leaders 'to rush this,' given range of threats and challenges country faces US President Joe Biden said Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline coalition should not rush their 'divisive' bid to overhaul Israel's judiciary, given the numerous threats and challenges Israel faces, and should instead work to build broad consensus for legal reform. "From the perspective of Israel's friends in the United States, it looks like the current judicial reform is becoming more divisive, not less," Biden said in a statement to the...

Reservists from the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit on Friday informed their commander that they intend to stop volunteering for reserve duty, as early as next week, in protest against the legislation of the government’s judicial reform, Channel 12 News reported. The reservists also presented a letter that has already been signed by 170 soldiers in active reserve service, and said that they intend to reach 250 signatures. The reservists made clear that they are aware of the harm they may cause by refusing to serve. "In the current order of the day, we have no other course of action...

White House hails debate in Israel over judicial reforms as a 'healthy part of a vibrant democracy' while again warning that they shouldn't be passed without broad consensus The Biden Administration urged Israeli authorities to "protect and respect the right of peaceful assembly" issued as police clashed with thousands of protesters across the country Tuesday demonstrations against the government advancement of the first piece of legislation aimed at overhauling the judiciary. While it didn't go as far, the White House National Security Council statement sent to querying reporters appeared similar to some of the responses the US has issued regarding...

Baharav-Miara castigated in raucous hours-long- debate as ministers allege soft approach to anti-overhaul demo; AG: I hope gov't isn't seeking to overrule police, set arrest quotas A succession of ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline government castigated Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara during a raucous, hours long cabinet meeting on Sunday, in which she was repeatedly attacked over authorities' handling of lawbreaking during demonstrations against the government. Several calls were made for her dismissal. Netanyahu started off what became an angry and tempestuous debate by telling Baharav-Miara that "selective enforcement is a fatal wound to democracy" and his ministers soon...

The Biden Administration has demanded that the Israeli government drop judicial reform from its agenda in exchange for the normalization of the Jewish State's relations with Saudi Arabia, Channel 12 News reported this evening (Tuesday). According to the report, the Saudis are demanding the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinian Authority, while the US was the party to raise the demand over the judicial reforms in exchange for mediating the normalization talks. On Sunday, it was reported that Bahrain had been mediating negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia on aspects of normalization, such as allowing direct flights between the...

Media personality and publicist Avri Gilad has questioned why the protests in the streets and at intersections have continued, even though the judicial reform likely will not pass, and called on the protesters to cease disrupting civilians' lives. In an Israel Hayom editorial, Gilad noted that he saw photos of the protest last week, noted that, "In Tel Aviv the number of Palestinian flags has greatly multiplied, in Haifa a Jewish protester held a sign showing pictures of the children killed in Gaza - and her hands were dipped in red." "The extreme left, which has not succeeded in buying...

Channel 13 News poll conducted by Professor Camil Fuchs and published on Sunday evening found that the previous coalition wins 63 Knesset seats, compared to 52 for the current coalition. The poll shows that, if elections were to be hold today, the National Unity Party, headed by Benny Gantz, would win 29 seats while the Likud would be the second largest party with 24 seats. Yesh Atid would be the third largest party, with 19 seats, followed by Shas with 10 seats. The Religious Zionist Party has 7 seats, and Otzma Yehudit has 4, a decrease compared to the 14...

An enormous rally with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators called the 'Million March,' was held in front of the Knesset this evening (Thursday) in support of the government's planned judicial reforms. Over 1,000 buses are bringing citizens from all over the country to participate in the demonstration. Police said that crowds at the demonstration at first reached 200,000 people.Later, as more and more people arrived, and it was almost impossible to get through the crowds that poured in, filling all the streets around the Knesset,, the organizers estimated close to 600,000 people. Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Knesset Constitution Committee...

Preparations for the Rally of Millions in favor of judicial reform are in full swing. So far, hundreds of groups have been registered across the country for transportation to the demonstration that will be held the day after Independence Day. In response to demand, demonstration organizers opened a website with details and the possibility to register for transportation. The organizers report that the demand for shuttles is increasing and the list of hubs from which shuttles will depart is constantly expanding. The Rally of Millions will take place next Thursday, the day after Independence Day, at 19:00 in front of...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday that he is optimistic on the possibility of reaching an agreement on the government's planned judicial reforms. "We are currently in the process of negotiations with the aim of reaching a broad agreement. I would like to remind you that before the elections, many of the leaders of the current opposition supported fundamental changes in the judicial system. Therefore, there is a basis for agreements that can be reached with good will and genuine negotiations," Netanyahu said at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant entered...