Yom Chamishee
Thursday
12 Tevet 5783
January 5 2023
Quote 1 of the Day
“All Jordanians will become suicide terrorists for Al-Aqsa. The sons of monkeys and pigs should know that the response of the Palestinian and Jordanian people at the moment is only talk, but this is a volcano and soon the response will be with lead bullets.”
Jordanian Parliament member Yanal Abd al-Salam Nour al-Din al-Fraihat speaking in the Parliament yesterday.
Jews are the sons of monkeys and pigs. This is the rhetoric that spews daily from “moderate” Jordan.
Quote 2 of the Day
“Now that you have free time, you can host Abu Mazen in your home more. We are fed up with your policy of flattering terrorism. An 800% increase in terrorism this past year is registered in your name. Go get some rest.”
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir speaking to former “Defense” Minister Benny Gantz yesterday.
Of course Ben Gvir was referring the absurd meeting that Gantz had with PLO Chairman Abu Mazen (aka Mahmoud Abbas) at his home in Rosh Ha’ayin last year.
Abu Mazen (aka Mahmoud Abbas left, and Benny Gantz right–birds of a feather.
By the way, Gantz called the democratic removal of his government by the incoming government a “coup” yesterday.
Quote 3 of the Day
“What Lapid is doing now as outgoing Prime Minister is a disturbing irresponsibility; the head of the BDS spear is actually Mr. Yair Lapid.”
Minister of the Diaspora and Social Equality Amichai Shikli in response to the reports that former PM Lapid will be traveling to the U.S. “to rally Jewish communities against the current government of Israel.”
The News on the Israeli Street
The war in Judea and Samaria.
“Rock, Molotov, and IED attacks:
Palestinian terrorists attacked Israelis south of Shechem near Hawara, between Rabbah and Yakir, on Road 55 at the Nabi Elias Bypass, in the vicinity of Sinds Kilax near Beit Haji, between the Tunnel Checkpoint and the Al Khader Junction, on Road 55 between Azzun and Ma’ale Shomron, south of the Karmi Tzur Junction, at Turmus’aya, Zubidat, near the Tanim Crossing, on the Gush Etzion-Hevron Road near the Maayan Curve, and at a dozen more locations.
Good news from Gaza . . .
A field commander in Hamas, the terrorist Saeed Abdullah known as “The Surgeon,” died of an apparent heart attack in Jabaliya last night.
Speaking of Gaza . . .
Two nights ago, a missile was fired from Gaza that did not cross the security fence and therefore exploded in Gaza.
There was no IDF response to this failed missile launch, and yesterday the opposition in the Knesset roundly condemned Netanyahu for not ordering a response, claiming that it responded to every such failed launch during the last 18 months.
Last night on Channel 13, a reporter pointed out that this claim is simply a lie and that there were numerous instances in which Lapid and Gantz did not respond such as on April 19, April 23, May 29, August 16 (the missile actually exploded in Israel), and on and on.
TODAY’S BLOG
The World Has Gone Completely Crazy
Of course, you don’t need your humble servant to tell you that the world has gone completely crazy–especially when it comes to Israel.
First, we have an Israeli Minister of National Security take an early morning, short five-minute walk across the Temple Mount–as he has done numerous times before–during which time, he did not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Kipat HaSela (Dome of the Rock) or come into contact with any Muslims. Before doing so, he cleared the visit with PM Netanyahu, Chief of Police, and all the security forces.
There was no provocation, and no violation of the status quo.
And yet now, we have the whole world screaming about a provocation and a violation of the status quo–so much so that even the abominable U.N. Security Council is going to take “the matter” up today–and the Biden Administration has made it clear that it will condemn Israel for Ben Gvir’s visit.
It’s simply unbelievable. What the world is condemning as “a provocation and violation of the status quo” is a Jew walking across the holiest place in Judaism. For years, we have had the Jordanian/Palestinian Islamic Wakf gradually reducing the time that Jews can be on the Mount–despite the fact that it is sovereign Israel. Now, they want to eliminate Jews from the site altogether.
On top of all of this, Justice Minister Yariv Levin outlined the first stage of the government’s proposed judicial reforms last night.
The chorus of “undemocratic” is already raging through the leftist Israeli media as well as liberal Jews in Israel and around the world. The chorus is being led by former PM Yair Lapid and his former government.
The proposals are the direct result of the usurpation of power by the Israel Supreme Court and High Court of Justice. Because Israel has no written Constitution to delineate the powers between the branches of government, the Courts have gradually arrogated all power to themselves. The Knesset has been so neutered that it might as well not exist because every law it passes is immediately challenged in the Courts.
There is nothing undemocratic about Levin’s proposals. Here is what he laid out last night:
1. The composition of the group choosing Supreme Court justices would change. Currently, there is a nine-person committee made up of 3 Supreme Court Justices, 2 lawyers from the Israeli Bar Association (IBA), 4 members of the Knesset including the Justice Minister. A candidate must receive 7 votes to be chosen. Basically, the Supreme Court Justices and lawyers have the majority and end up choosing the Justices.
All Levin proposes is that the 2 lawyers from the IBA will be replaced by 2 Knesset members. In essence, the 3 Supreme Court Justice would still have veto power with their 3 votes.
2. Currently, there is no way to override a Supreme Court or High Court decision. Levin proposes an override clause which will enable the Knesset (with a vote of 61 members) to do so. Court decisions would not be able to overridden if the Court decision was unanimous with all 15 Justices voting in favor.
3. The so-called “Basic Laws” of the country which were supposed to have been unable to be challenged are now being done so by the Court on a regular basis. Levin proposes that Basic Laws cannot be rejected by the Courts in whole or in part.
4. Recently, the Court has been canceling laws on the basis of “unreasonableness” when it could not find a legal reason to do so. Levin proposes to eliminate “unreasonableness” as a reason for throwing out a law. In fact, this very instrument of the Court may arise today as Aryeh Deri’s appointment as Interior Minister is being challenged on the basis that it is “unreasonable.”
Far from “undemocratic”, these proposals are democratic.
But you will never hear it or read it because the world has gone crazy.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.