Author: AFSI Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Sunday, after Gallant publicly demanded the government freeze its judicial overhaul. Netanyahu made the decision Sunday evening, a day after Gallant’s public address regarding the judicial
reform plan.

In Gallant’s address he stated, “A victory for one of the parties will be a loss of the State of Israel. For the sake of Israel’s security, the legislative process should be stopped, and negotiations should be held.

Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have reached an agreement that the judicial reform legislation will be frozen for the time being and brought up again during the Knesset’s summer session to allow for negotiations on the reforms, the Otzma Yehudit party announced Monday evening.

At the same time, the two agreed that as a step to keep the peace in Israeli cities, the establishment of s National Guard under the auspices of the National Security Ministry will be approved at the next cabinet meeting. Ben-Gvir said: “I agreed to remove my veto on the postponement of the legislation, in exchange for a commitment from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the legislation will be brought to the Knesset for approval in the next session, if no agreements are reached during the recess.”

The announcement comes as tens of thousands of right-wing Israelis are converging on the Knesset from across the country to demonstrate in favor of the judicial reforms and to demand that the government not freeze the legislation.

Meanwhile a poll conducted shows that 66% of the Israeli public does not want a freeze on the reform process. That’s more than 50% – a majority of those surveyed!! Will a break in the judicial reform process prompt a level of soul searching from the left and restore a measure of sanity to the badly needed judicial reforms process? As we’ve said before, something like that will only happen when the opposition sits down at the negotiating table to lay out their rational minded concerns. Until then, they only continue to hurt Israel – and themselves.

The latest update….no sooner than Netanyahu announced that he froze the judicial reforms process, Ben Gurion Airport announced it will resume operations. Now that there is a pause in the process, things are expected to return to normal in Israel. But for how long?? Netanyahu’s government is not giving up on reforming the judicial system, just postponing it to resume at a later date. It remains to be seen what will transpire between now and then.

Photo above shows supporters of judicial plan who came out strongly Monday.

Sources:
PM, Ben-Gvir agree: Judicial reform legislation to be frozen until summer session, by Israel National News, March 27, 2023

Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Gallant, by David Rosenberg, March 26, 2023

Poll: 2/3 of religious public oppose freezing judicial reforms, by Israel National News, March 27, 2023

Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council, on Sunday morning, announced that he is moving his office to Einabus Square in the terror-infested town of Huwara outside Shechem.

Dagan addressed the residents of the eastern slopes of the Samaria mountains: “This is the third time in less than a month that a serious shooting attack has taken place here” noting the murders of Hallel and Yagel Yaniv and the attack on David Stern, plus an attack on two soldiers. “We feel abandoned.” He demanded the return of security checkpoints for the vehicles leaving Shechem, and not only for a short time just after the most recent attack.

While Arab terrorists continue to take advantage of security loopholes to commit terror attacks, there is no sign of change from the government to better protect Jewish residents.

Source:
Protesting Defense Ministry’s Neglect, Samaria Council Moves Its Headquarters to Huwara, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 27, 2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address to the nation this evening on the government’s planned judicial reforms. The address follows Netanyahu’s meeting with Defense Minikster Yoav Gallant, who called for the judicial reform bills to be frozen until the next Knesset session.

“Citizens of Israel, a few months ago, as soon as the election results were announced, I said, ‘I intend to be the prime minister of all the citizens of Israel,’ I meant it then and I mean it today,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of his speech. “We have one country and we must do everything to protect it from external threats and from an irreconcilable rift from within. We cannot allow any dispute, no matter how acute, to endanger our shared future.”

“The opponents of the reform are not traitors and the supporters of the reform are not fascists. Most of the citizens of Israel love our country and want to preserve our democracy. But since there are those who appropriate democracy for themselves, I want to say a few words about democracy: the supporters of the reform think that there is no democracy here. What is real and what endangers democracy is an all-powerful court. On the other hand, the opponents of the reform think that what will endanger democracy is a Knesset and a government that will act without restraints and without brakes, that will endanger the rights of the individual,” he said.

In the wake of the passage of the law preventing the attorney general and Supreme Court from declaring a prime minister unfit, Netanyahu declared, “Until today my hands were tied. But no more. Today I enter the conversation, for the sake of the people and the country, I will do everything in my power to reach a solution and calm the spirits in the nation. We are all brothers.”

Source:
Netanyahu: Until today my hands were tied on judicial reform dispute, by Israel National News, March 23, 2023

The Knesset amended the disastrous Disengagement Law on Monday night, allowing Jews to stay in Homesh (one of the communities eradicated in 2005). However, they will not be allowed to live there since that land is believed to be privately owned by PA Arabs and the law does not permit permanent construction there.

While the disengagement law stated that all land rights of Israeli residents in the evacuated areas were null and void, going forward the amended law does recognize land rights acquired by Israelis there. It also allows re-establishing the destroyed communities and includes a clause that allows Israelis to acquire land rights in northern Samaria. Now, prospective new and former resident are free to reclaim their state lands from the government and purchase those private Arab lands or ask the state to allocate to them new state lands.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented shortly after the legislation sparked international controversy that this does not mean that Jews will be allowed to reside in those evacuated communities or re-establish them. “With that, the government has no intention of establishing new communities in these areas.”

Does this sound like this is not a win for Israel?

David Israel points out “Now, here’s the real upside: the Disengagement Law stated that all land rights of the Israeli residents in the evacuated areas were null and void. The amended law recognizes forward land rights acquired by Israelis there. The amended law therefore allows the re-establishing of the destroyed settlements. It also includes a clause that allows Israelis to acquire land rights in northern Samaria. Now prospective settlers (and re-settlers) are free, in addition to reclaiming their state lands from the government, to also purchase those private Arab lands, or ask the state to allocate to them new state lands.”

Sources:
It’s a Good Day: Knesset Reverses 2005 Expulsion Law (Partially), by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 21, 2023

Despite repeal of Disengagement Law, Netanyahu bans evicted settlers from returning to their homes, by Lauren Marcus/World Israel News. March 22, 2023

It’s more than just about settlements, by Ariel Kahana/Israel Hayom, March 22, 2023

On Monday evening, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the closure of the “Voice of Palestine” radio station and barred any station run by the Palestinian Authority from operating within Israel. The station is based in Ramallah but has offices in Jerusalem.

Ben-Gvir called Voice of Palestine a “hostile media channel that broadcasts incitement on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The location of this channel belongs in Syria, not in the Land of Israel.”

We couldn’t agree more. The only way to combat incitement against Israel is to drive it out at its source. Ben-Gvir’s move is an excellent example of Israel taking control of her sovereign rights.

Source:
Zero tolerance for incitement: Ben-Gvir shuts down PA radio station operating in Jerusalem, by TPS and World Israel News Staff, March 21, 2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a softening today of his government’s judicial overhaul plan, an apparent concession to more than two months of unprecedented nationwide protests and misgivings voiced by Western allies. His statement was met with ridicule by protest leaders, who noted that the increased focus on the nomination and confirmation of justices is tantamount to a revolution.

The Constitution Committee met today to continue its debates on the reform package, and the government has made it clear that it intends to advance the section related to the Judicial Appointments Committee within the next few days, before the Knesset breaks up for the Passover recess.

“The [new] proposal we’re presenting comes after the total refusal of the opposition to engage with us,” MK Simcha Rothman noted. “We’re extending our hands to them, once again. There are another 50 days until the legislation moves forward [after the recess] and that’s plenty of time to discuss and debate.”

Time waits for no one. Unless the opposition can bring to the table their suggestions for reversing decades of judicial imbalances and abuses, we suggest they accept the rule of the majority.

Sources:
Judicial reform: Rothman clarifies compromise offer, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, March 20, 2023

Coalition’s scaling back of reform pace fails to calm protest, by Reuters and ILH Staff, March 20, 2023

Yesterday afternoon, two dual American-Israeli citizens, 44-year-old David Stern and his wife, 37-year-old Rachel Stern, were victims of a terror attack. They are residents of the Givat Ronen neighborhood in the town of Itamar, north of Huwara, the site of the attack.

David was shot in the head at point-blank range by a terrorist but managed to return fire, wounding the terrorist. His condition is moderate to serious and is not in life-threatening danger. Rachel was treated for shock and the couple’s two children sitting in the back of the car were not harmed.

We wish the Stern family a speedy recovery from injury and trauma.

Source:
Huwara shooting victim identified as dual US-Israeli citizen, by David Rosenberg/Israel National News, March 19, 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a judicial compromise proposal presented on Wednesday night by President Isaac Herzog during an address to the nation earlier in the evening.

“The issues presented by the president were not agreed upon by the coalition and key clauses in his outline only perpetuate the current situation and do not bring the necessary balance between the branches,” stated the premier. “This is the unfortunate truth.”

Herzog presented what he termed the “people’s plan,” beginning his speech by painting a bleak picture of Israel’s political situation, in which protests have roiled the country, saying that he had spoken to thousands of citizens and never before heard such “frightening rhetoric.” “I’ve heard real, deep hatred. I’ve heard people from all sides [say] that, Gd forbid, if there’ll be blood in the streets, it will no longer shock them,” he said.

Herzog is only fanning the flames of hate, anger, and protest. He should know better in the leadership position he holds. It makes us wonder just how many facts he really has about the imbalances and abuses in the existing Israel judicial system. Whose is he siding with anyway?

Source:
Netanyahu: Herzog’s judicial reform proposal perpetuates power imbalance, by JNS/March 15, 2023

Monday night the Knesset approved in a first reading a bill repealing sections of the 2005 Disengagement Law that prevent Israelis from entering or living in parts of northern Samaria. The proposed legislation would restore freedom of movement to Israelis in four communities razed following the 2005 Gaza disengagement.

The new bill would require the government to reverse parts of the disengagement and allow for the Homesh Yeshiva to remain as a first step towards rebuilding the four communities. Now that Israel is no longer under an interim government, we trust we can look forward to the Jewish people returning to and re-building what was destroyed and never again be forced from their homes.

Excellent and timely reading from the apparently middle of the road Israel Policy Forum, “Undoing Evacuation: Where the 2005 West Bank Disengagement Stands in 2023.”

Source:
Bill restoring freedom of movement to Israelis in northern Samaria passes first reading, by JNS, March 14, 2023