Despite rumors that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would soften his stance on his judicial “overhaul” in the days leading up to the Knesset vote—especially with pressure from the Biden administration, and logically from what should have been a lesson learned from protests in Tel Aviv the last time the nation’s parliament threatened this measure—the apartheid state has effectively castrated its judiciary.
Police clashed with crowds of protesters overnight as a result of the vote, which will prevent the Supreme Court from applying its “unreasonable’ standard blocking arbitrary legislative conduct.
The BBC reported that Jerusalem police utilized water cannons to disperse protesters blocking highways. Thousands are also refusing the national mandate to enlist in military services, which international experts on the matter overwhelmingly conclude will undermine national security. In addition, throngs of existing military personnel have vowed not to report for duty. Strikes are imminent, as well, and promise to disrupt the economy.
In a chilling similarity to what is transpiring in the U.S. with respect to Donald Trump’s recent desperate, failed attempt to delay one of his criminal trials until after the November, 2024 federal election, Netanyahu has so far succeeded in his attempt to shield himself from what has promised to be a guilty verdict rendered by the courts on charges of corruption.
Though it appears unlikely that Trump would be able to engage in the otherwise unfathomably corrupt action of self-pardon—that is, if he manages to keep himself out of prison—Netanyahu is looking at clear sailing ahead unless the opposition appeals the Knesset’s vote, thereby convincing the powers-that-be that with this vote, Israel’s third branch of its government has just been eliminated on a de facto basis.
The BBC astutely noted that, for a country which prides itself on its ability to respond quickly to any kind of real threat, the tumultuous situation is causing genuine anxiety.
Twenty-two protesters were arrested on Monday, as centrists worry that nationalist and ultra-Orthodox religious coalitions will be able to shape policy with unchecked power. The vote was a 64-0 unanimous debacle, as the opposition boycotted the final tally.
Washington—a staunch ally since Israel’s 1948 inception—has since called the development “unfortunate.”
One protester interviewed—the daughter of a paratrooper pictured in an iconic Israeli photograph depicting the capture of the Western Wall in the 1967 Middle East war—said she feared for her children’s future. “Netanyahu kidnapped the country and I am worried it will become a theocracy,” she said.
Theocracy…autocracy…fascist dictatorship…the synonyms which describe the future of Israel are endless–unlike its very existence–should it fail to heed the bellwether of the international community and that of even its own people. Netanyahu’s recently-installed pacemaker was a sign which the corrupt despot foolishly chose to ignore. More heartache is ahead for all parties involved.