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Wednesday, March 1, 2023
SPECIAL REPORT ISRAEL: BENJAMIN NETANYAHU MOVES FORWARD ON JUDICIAL REFORM FOLLOWING PROTESTS, CLASHES WITH HIS CORRUPTION TRIAL IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE STORY
(NEWS, COMMENT AND ANALYSIS)
VIDEO OF TEL AVIV PROTEST TODAY THAT BLOCKED A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN THE CITY
"The anarchical activists led by Lapid continue to cross red lines. Right now they are harassing and threatening my wife in Tel Aviv..."
PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ON ONE PROTEST THAT TARGETED HIS WIFE INSIDE A HAIR SALON IN TEL AVIV THIS EVENING
It took hundreds of Israeli police to extricate Sara Netanyahu from a hair salon in Tel Aviv that was surrounded by enraged opponents of her husband's plan to reform Israel's judicial system.
At least a thousand protesters (two thousand according to the Israeli newspaper "Maariv") besieged the salon some shouting:
"The country is burning and Sara is getting a haircut"...
Following today's events Mr. Netnayahu tonight with a statement that said in part:
"The freedom of demonstration is not a license to plunge the country into anarchy, because a sovereign country cannot tolerate anarchy.
I know that there are citizens who love the country who passionately support the reform and there are others who love the country who passionately oppose the reform.
In a democracy there are clear rules on how to conduct debate and there are red lines that must not be crossed. The red line-the sharp and clear line is a complete ban on violence and anarchy."....
It's a slow walk for the legislation that will make Israel's judicial system more like the United States system at the federal level with political appointments of the Attorney General and judges.
Today one portion of the reform was in a committee of Israel's parliament for consideration.
The sweeping legislation states that the judiciary in Israel has no say in reversing it.
But opponents like former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit insist that the Attorney General and High Court act against it after final passage.
underscores the seriousness of the divide in Israel over the judicial reforms.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog and some members of Parliament from the military-industrial complex opposition party "National Unity" joined Likud government coalition party members in urging a compromise.
Last Saturday night in a nation of nine million people some 300,000 on the streets to oppose the judicial overhaul.
Today's protest crowd very strong as well some 80,000 participating in what was called a "national day of disruption".
11 injuries and 39 arrests with protest organizers saying police used excessive force.
Underlying the judicial reform controversy is the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has personally been targeted by the existing justice system in Israel one that is seen as biased against him.
His slow-moving corruption trial underway in recent years and the fact that his trial could lead to conviction and punishment.
One former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has already gone to prison for corruption and a former President Moshe Katsav served time in prison after being convicted of rape.
Indeed, this judicial overhaul is Benjamin Netanyahu's ticket to deal with what his supporters consider his unfair and unjust prosecution.
There have been a few suggestions that the opposition in Israel try to find a compromise with Netanyahu to scuttle judicial reform in exchange for dropping the prosecution of Netanyahu.
But so far formal negotiations do not appear to be happening.
Lines of confrontation are drawn in Israel and tonight Mr. Netanyahu was able to play a January 6ish card on his opponents and paint them as extreme with strong visual evidence to back him up.
The end of this conflict not in sight more weeks maybe even months of legislative activity a window for perhaps some compromise.
Mr. Netanayhu has suggested talks but also insists that the legislation will continue to move forward if they occur.
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