On December 29, 2022, Israel’s government was sworn in. But the poll numbers for Netanyahu are poor. And there should be a groundbreaking decision on the controversial judicial reform by mid-January.
After a year in office, Israel’s government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are under great pressure. The Israeli public’s current distrust of a head of government in wartime is unprecedented, the Haaretz newspaper reported.
According to polls, the majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign after the end of the Gaza war at the latest. Many people accuse him of not yet admitting personal responsibility for the Hamas massacre on October 7th.
But even before the brutal terrorist attack, there had been repeated mass protests in Israel against Netanyahu and his coalition, which was sworn in on December 29, 2022. The most right-wing government in Israel’s history is pushing ahead with highly controversial judicial reform. In the months before the war, it was criticized for endangering Israel’s security and unity.
State crisis could be imminent
The Supreme Court in Israel is expected to decide on the first core element of this judicial reform by mid-January. Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem passed the first amendment to the law at the end of July despite massive resistance from the population. It is intended to deprive the Supreme Court of the opportunity to take action against “inappropriate” decisions by the government, the Prime Minister or individual ministers.
A few days ago, Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 leaked a draft of the Supreme Court’s ruling. Accordingly, the majority of judges will declare the change in the law to be null and void. Eight judges should vote for the corresponding draft judgment and seven against it. In Israel’s history, a comparable law has never been struck down by the Supreme Court. If this happens and the government does not accept the decision, the country will face a national crisis.
Ongoing corruption trial against Netanyahu
Critics see the government’s actions as a threat to Israel’s democracy. Netanyahu’s government argues that the court is too powerful in Israel and interferes too much in political issues. However, according to experts, the plans could also play into Netanyahu’s hands in a corruption trial that has been ongoing against him for some time. The trial, which has been ongoing for more than three years, resumed in December after a break.
A year ago, former long-term Prime Minister Netanyahu returned to power after 18 months in the opposition. In Israel’s history, no one has been in office longer than the 74-year-old. It is uncertain whether Netanyahu will be able to remain as head of government after the war given the colossal failure on October 7th. Critics accuse him of having tolerated or even encouraged the rise of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to recent surveys, the party of Benny Gantz, minister in the war cabinet, would be by far the strongest faction. Haaretz already speculated that Netanyahu wanted the war in the Gaza Strip to never end in order to stay in power as long as possible.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
