President Herzog’s “New” Outline?

Yom Shleeshee

Tuesday

14 Adar 5783

March 7 2023

 

HAPPY PURIM!

Quote of the Day

“We are on the cusp of a national emergency . . . In order to achieve and sustain an honest dialogue to keep Israel as a democratic state, Netanyahu must announce an immediate and unconditional halt to all legislative efforts pertaining to the reform.” 

Former PM Yair Lapid and former “Defense” Minister Benny Gantz in a joint press conference and press release yesterday.

Could this be any more Orwellian?

Here we have two “leaders” of the previous government who lost a democratic election, refused to accept the results of that democratic election, and then quickly became leaders of the current anti-government movement (aka “legal reform” movement) to subvert the results of that democratic election ranting about what must be done to keep Israel democratic.

Two “leaders” who have openly called for an economic flight from this country, anarchy in the streets, and in Lapid’s case been supportive of the refusal of soldiers to show up for service in the IDF.

Two “leaders” who have created an emergency situation here by demanding that the current prime minister announce an “immediate and unconditional halt” to the agenda he was democratically elected to implement–all in order to keep Israel “democratic.”

It boggles the mind.

The News on the Israeli Street

The war in Judea and Samaria . . .

Shooting attack:

Palestinian terrorists opened fire on an Israeli on Road 465 between Rawavi Square and Ater. He was not wounded. The terrorists escaped.

IED, “rock”, and Molotov attacks:

Palestinian terrorists attacked an ambulance near Beit Omer on the Hevron-Gush Etzion Road. 

Palestinian terrorists assaulted Israelis at more than 2 dozen locations including Al-Aruv, Hatmar Shomron Square, Yitzhar, on the Hosan Bypass between Al Khader and Beitar, between Itamar and Elon Moreh, in Huwara, at Einbus, between Jurish and Akbara, at Sinds Kilax, near Beit Haji on Mt. Hevron, and at the large Yitzhar Junction.

Israel attack on Iranian assets in Syria . . .

We were awakened here in Ashdod around 12:45 am this morning by low-flying aircraft heading north.

The planes, as we suspected, were on their way to Syria.

Coming in from the Mediterranean they hit Iranian warehouses in and around Aleppo and rendered the airport there unusable.

TODAY’S BLOG

President Herzog’s “New” Outline?

By way of context, let’s begin by stating the obvious. Even if the Netanyahu government agreed to every Opposition demand concerning legal reform, the large demonstrations and disruptions in the country would not stop.

They would not stop because the demonstrations have nothing to do with legal reform and everything to do with ousting Netanyahu and the current government. The anti-government movement is a business with organizers and materials massively paid for by leftists here in Israel and abroad.

Keeping this in mind, ultra left-wing President Herzog (who just yesterday railed “The reforms as they currently stand endanger the democratic foundations of the State of Israel”) appears to be ready to spring another “compromise outline” on the Israeli public designed to end the legal reforms and thereby supposedly bring the anarchist protests against the government to a conclusion.

The only problem is that the new Herzog compromise outline is not the product of any compromises at all—the Opposition adamantly refuses to negotiate. His “new” draft is the result of the discussions of “academics” whom Herzog brought together to brainstorm.

And their outline as leaked yesterday is a reiteration of what Herzog has proposed before: include everything that the Opposition wants and nothing that the Netanhayu Coalition wants.

A few elements:

*The proposal would supposedly make it more difficult for the Court to invalidate a law passed by the Knesset (would require a 2/3 vote of all 15 Justices).

[This is utter nonsense. Just think about the current composition of the Court: 14 liberal Ashkenazi Justices which always vote as a block, and 1 Sephardic Justice who dissents. A 2/3 vote of 15 Justices is guaranteed.]

*Because it would supposedly be more difficult for the Court to invalidate a law, the Netanyahu Coalition will drop “the override clause” from the reforms.

[In other words, all power remains in the hands of the Court. The Knesset is completely neutered.]

*The Court would be able to continue to use the “unreasonable” justification for deciding cases.

*The Judicial Selection Committee would not be composed of a majority selected from the Knesset. Instead a majority on the committee would be non-elected.

Interestingly, this draft outline was disavowed this morning by President Herzog, 24 hours after it was leaked yesterday. According to Herzog, the new draft outline is “not my opinion or on my behalf.” If you believe that, your humble servant will sell you some snowshoes to use in Eilat.

And as you can imagine, Justice Minister Levin and Constitution Law and Justice Chairman Rothman said this morning: “the draft outline is a sterilization of the reform from its fundamental content. . . After many days of discussions, it can be clearly said that there are broad agreements at hand, ones that will not displace the reform from its essentials and will benefit from a broad consensus. We will continue to promote the legislation as planned, and we will continue to try to reach broad agreements just as we have done in recent months.”

So what in the world was Herzog talking about yesterday when he said the the compromise was 90% complete?