Airport chaos escalated by general strike by major labor unions
Economy Minister “Prime Minister drives the brink of civil war”
US White House “deeply concerned about current situation”
Opposition calls for ouster of Prime Minister Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s internal conflict over the ‘disabling the judiciary’ bill is reaching an extreme. When Prime Minister Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Galland, who was a member of the ruling Likud Party but openly criticized the enactment of the bill, on the 26th, angry citizens flocked to the streets on the 27th as well as on the same day and staged fierce protests.
Criticism within the far-right coalition is also significant, with Culture and Sports Minister Miki Johar and Economy Minister Nir Barkat also rebelling against it. Even the lawyers defending Prime Minister Netanyahu during his corruption trial declared a “stop defense”. Israel’s major labor unions also declared a general strike, causing extreme confusion at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, the largest city on the 27th. The United States, a key ally, has also repeatedly expressed concern.
Opposition parties even talked about the ousting of Prime Minister Netanyahu. On the 27th, Avigdor Lieberman, the head of the Beiteinu party, said, “I hope the Prime Minister will announce his resignation. The Likud Party needs to find a new leader.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on the 26th that “the Prime Minister has decided to dismiss Minister Galland.” Minister Gallant said in a televised speech the day before, “Stop the legislative process,” and he was kicked out. After the decision was publicized, protests against it broke out all over the country. In Tel Aviv, the largest city, tens of thousands of protesters occupied the Ayaron Highway from dawn and set fire to the middle of the road. Authorities used water cannons to forcefully disperse the protesters. According to the ‘Channel 12’ broadcast, about 700,000 people protested across the country on that day alone.
On the 27th, protesters also held a demonstration in front of the Parliament (Knesset). Twenty-seven people, including major mayors and leaders of local councils, issued a statement of protest to Prime Minister Netanyahu and started a hunger strike in Jerusalem on the same day.
The concerns of high-ranking officials and the United States are also significant. “When a house is on fire, don’t ask who is right, you have to save the residents first,” Johar said. Minister Barkat also added that “(the prime minister) drove the country to the brink of civil war.” Israel’s consul general in New York, Asaf Zamir, resigned, saying, “I can no longer represent this government.” Adrian Watson, spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC), said in a statement on the 26th, “I express my deep concern about the current situation. Find a compromise as soon as possible.”
In the political world, the voices talking about the ouster of the prime minister are unusual. According to local media such as the Times of Israel, Lieberman said on the 27th, “I urge my friends in the Likud Party to oust Prime Minister Netanyahu and form a new coalition government with a new Prime Minister from the Likud Party.”
He repeatedly mentioned Netanyahu’s resignation, saying, “No dictator can stand up to widespread and legitimate public protests covering all segments of the population.” Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz are also strongly criticizing the Prime Minister’s enforcement of the bill, describing it as “dictatorship.”
Currently, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s far-right coalition of six political parties holds 64 of the 120 seats in the parliament. The Likud Party holds 32 seats and the other five parties hold 32 seats. If the confusion surrounding the enactment of the law to neutralize the judiciary continues, we cannot rule out the possibility that one of these five parties will turn their back on Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The goal of the law to neutralize the judiciary is to weaken the Supreme Court’s final adjudication function and allow the executive branch to intervene in judicial personnel. Criticism continues that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is still on trial for personal corruption during the past administration, introduced the bill for ‘self-bulletproof’.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.