New Israeli government stirs controversy and criticism of radical policies after 2 weeks in office | MorungExpress

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Jerusalem: Israeli President Isaac Herzog (R, Front) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L, Front) pose for a group photo with members of the new government at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, December 29, 2022. Benjamin Netanyahu , Israel’s longest-serving leader, returned to power on Thursday as the country’s prime minister leading a far-right coalition. (JINI via Xinhua)

Jerusalem, January 13 (IANS) With the rapid implementation of its hardline policies since taking office two weeks ago, the new Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, considered the most right-wing in the country’s history , sparked national controversy and international criticism.

“We are not waiting, and I think the citizens of Israel are already feeling it. We have formed a different government, with different policies, and we are handling things differently,” Netanyahu told a meeting of his party, the Likud.

On Wednesday, the new Israeli government unveiled for the first time a detailed plan to weaken the Supreme Court and strengthen the government’s power in the appointment of judges, reports the Xinhua news agency.

The bill, issued by Yariv Levin, Israel’s justice minister and close aide to Netanyahu, would nullify the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down laws passed by parliament, even when a law is found to be unconstitutional or a violation of human rights. fundamental human rights.

According to the bill, seven of the 11 members of a committee responsible for appointing new judges will be chosen by the government, while a majority of at least six committee members will suffice to approve the appointments.

‘We received a clear mandate from the public, to deliver what we promised in the election and that’s what we will do,’ Netanyahu, who faces criminal corruption trial, told Likud meeting of Monday.

In a protest letter released Thursday, signed by seven former attorneys general and four other former senior legal officials, denounced the proposed changes, saying they would destroy Israel’s justice system.

“We call on the government to withdraw the proposed plan and avoid serious harm to the justice system and the rule of law,” the letter said.

The justice system is not the only dangerous line the new Israeli government is trying to cross.

On January 3, just days after the new government was sworn in, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a sensitive site in East Jerusalem. , sacred to Muslims and Jews and a longtime focal point. tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

This visit provoked a strong reaction from the Muslim world, including Gulf states which have normalized their relations with Israel, and even a warning from the United States.

More worryingly, Ben-Gvir, who holds criminal convictions for inciting racism against Palestinians and supporting Jewish terrorism, on Sunday ordered police to confiscate Palestinian flags displayed in public, although the Palestinian flag is not banned by law. Israeli law.

The new coalition also took punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority.

On January 6, Israel’s security cabinet decided to cut approximately $39.6 million in tax money that the Israeli government collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and to freeze building permits in Area C, which is under full Israeli control in the occupied West Bank.

The decision came after the Palestinian Authority approached the International Court of Justice in The Hague for an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories for 55 years.

The punitive measures were taken “in response to the Palestinian Authority’s decision to wage a political and legal war against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a Jan. 6 statement.

Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967, on which the Palestinians want to establish an independent state, and has since controlled or besieged them despite Palestinian struggle and international criticism.

As part of the coalition agreements, Netanyahu has vowed to annex parts of the West Bank.

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