Category: Articles

The Knesset plenum on Monday afternoon approved changes to the reasonableness standard, passing the bill with a majority of 64 Knesset members.

Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Yoav Gallant pushed for a last-minute compromise, despite the harsh opposition by ministers Yariv Levin and Itamar Ben Gvir. They also pushed to delay the legislation for judicial appointments for a period of more than six months.

The attempts to reach a compromise between the coalition and the opposition continued until the last moment, but opposition leader MK Yair Lapid announced that negotiations had failed and blew up the talks.

Considering the opposition’s position, it was decided to continue to advance the bill as originally planned.

The haters and doomsday naysayers of Israel are out in full force today. Hysteria, rage, concern, road blockages, and more protests. It’s over – Israel is doomed! They view the passage of this bill as a terrible day for Israel, the end of democracy in Israel, blah, blah, blah. Joe Biden said the vote is “unfortunate,” but we know all this rhetoric is not the truth. Today is simply an amazing day for Israel and just the beginning of advancing and developing this already great nation. Sometimes we forget that since its founding, and for all Israel has achieved in a short amount of time, Israel is still a very young country. Today’s vote to fix an ailing judicial system puts Israel on track to implement the best practices to run the country that should be in place at this time in the Jewish Nation State’s history. We hope the opposition will get over it somehow! 🙂

Source:
Knesset approves first phase of judicial reform, by Israel National News, July 24, 2023

The Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee on Wednesday voted 9 to 7 to delete the Reasonability Clause regarding government level decisions from Israeli courts’ protocol. The bill is now ready for a plenum second and third reading on Sunday and will make it the first and exceedingly minute step on the way to accomplishing the Netanyahu government’s ambitious judicial reform. As expected, even this tiny victory was drowned out by the incessant battle cry of “Busha, busha” (Shame, shame) from the losing opposition.

Earlier, while the committee debate was still going, another riot broke out, when several advisers to the opposition MKs barged into the committee chamber and verbally attacked Chairman Simcha Rothman and other coalition members.

The burning question is what will the left do when they find out that ultimately the implementation of this piece of judicial reform actually benefits Israelis? The answer is that they will continue to use any means at their disposal to take down the current government. It’s OK. Israel will move forward with the judicial reforms process. Nothing can stop what is coming and it’s all good for Israel.

Source:
Anarchists Raging as Reasonability Amendment Passes Committee Vote, by David Israel/Jewish Press, July 20, 2023

On Monday sources report that Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged in a conversation with Joe Biden that he will freeze construction in Judea and Samaria until the end of 2023. The Prime Minister’s Office denied the report that there will be a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria.

Are these reports fact or fiction and will they be retracted from the media? The only truth right now is that Arabs do not stop illegal construction while the rights of Jews to build in their homeland continue to be denied, violated, and discriminated against.

Additionally, there are reports saying that Netanyahu agreed to limiting badly needed democratic judicial reforms.

Yesterday, Kan News reported that sources that know the details of Monday’s phone conversation between the two leaders claimed that the judicial reform was only brought up marginally and momentarily.

We would like to think that the marginal and brief moment between the two leaders sounded something like this:

Biden: “You’ll stop building in Judea and Samaria and kill judicial reforms, right?

Netanyahu: “That’s Israel’s business. Enough said!”

Sources:
Report: Netanyahu pledges to freeze construction until end of 2023, by Israel National News, July 18, 2023

Senior source refutes claim Biden told Netanyahu to stop reform, by Israel National News, July 19, 2023

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed with a majority of more than 400 votes a resolution introduced by Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX), supporting the State of Israel, and clearly affirming that “Israel is not a racist or an apartheid state; The House rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia; and the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of the State of Israel.” The resolution was co-sponsored by Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) and supported by the House leadership.

The US resolution has made it official that Israel is NOT a racist or apartheid state. While there never was a need for a stamp of approval on this, it still sends a strong message to the haters of Israel, especially those in Congress who refused to support this truth. They were really outnumbered in this vote and need to wake-up. If they don’t, they only hurt themselves and their constituents.

AFSI thanks Congressman Pfluger for introducing this resolution and his dedicated work in seeing it through to its successful vote!

Source:
US House Resolution: Israel Is Not a Racist or Apartheid State; 12 Democrats Object, by David Israel/Jewish Press, July 19, 2023

MK Simcha Rothman, Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, on Monday remarked about the reservations submitted regarding the changes to the reasonableness standard.

“I want to thank the members of the opposition for their integrity, and for the fact that they did not agree to advance any compromise on this bill, on what they call ‘dangerous legislation,’ since that was said by them in a unilateral fashion,” Rothman said. “The submission of the reservations is only a sign of the behavior which has taken place here throughout the discussion and the lack of willingness to hold a practical discussion… Unfortunately, any attempt to reach agreements is barren.”

The Knesset’s legal adviser, Sagit Afik, remarked, “This is an unprecedented high in the number of reservations: 27,677, of which 1,649 are party reservations.” She added that, “The Knesset’s job is to legislate, and we will not allow, through a high number of reservations which borders on misuse of the institute of reservations, to delay and even stop the process of legislation which the Knesset desires to advance by means of the committees and the plenum.”

The 27,677 reservations hiding behind a smokescreen find it perfectly acceptable to be present to protest, block roads and threaten violence. Come out, come out wherever you are….speak up and make yourself known. Tell the committee why you object to the reasonableness bill and judicial reforms. Do tell. The curiosity is killing us.

Source:
Unprecedented: 27,677 reservations submitted to block reasonableness standard, by Israel National News, July 17, 2023

The government passed a decision today to act to preserve and develop historical heritage sites in Judea and Samaria.

Gush Etzion Regional Council Mayor, and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Shlomo Ne’eman said in response to the decision: “We thank the Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu and all the members of the government who today approved such a significant budget for the development and preservation of the antiquities sites in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley.”

There are over 3,000 antiquity sites throughout Judea and Samaria, of which some 80% are in Area C. According to the Prime Minister’s office, some 1,000 sites have already been damaged.

Over many years archeological sites have been damaged along with illegal construction near these sites. Without sovereignty applied throughout Judea and Samaria, much illegal activity still takes place. We look forward to the swift implementation of this plan and pray it is not too little too late.

Source:
Govt. to preserve, develop Judea and Samaria heritage sites, by Israel National News, July 17, 2023

A day before Israel celebrates Ze’ev Jabotinsky Day on the 18th of July and to mark 100 years since his formative essay “The Iron Wall”, a poll demonstrates that Israeli youth have little familiarity with Jabotinsky, or knowledge of his writings, or the Revisionist movement in general.

The survey, conducted for Jabotinsky Day by the Shiluv polling agency for the Middle East Forum’s Israel Victory Project, surveyed 500 Jewish youths aged 16-25 years old.

Though 100 years old, Zeev Jabotinsky’s teachings and principles, his words, his books, have 100% relevance in today’s Israel. Jabotinsky felt defeating one’s enemies was critical to Israel’s survival. It was true then and even more so now. It is imperative that youth be exposed to the educational resources and proper outlets to properly understand this, especially when so many enemies of Israel come from within.

Source:
Ahead of Jabotinsky Day, Young Israelis Unfamiliar with Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Revisionist Movement, by Jewish Press Staff, July 17, 2023

The Knesset on Monday night approved the first reading of the law to reduce the cause of reasonableness. The “Reasonableness Standard Bill” is an amendment to the Basic Law: The Judiciary, that would block Israel’s courts from applying what is known as the “reasonableness standard” to decisions made by elected officials. The law was approved by a majority of 64 to 56.

All members of the coalition voted in favor of the law, while all members of the opposition voted against it. After the vote, the members of the coalition applauded, while the members of the opposition shouted, “Shame.”

The vote was preceded by a heated discussion, which began with the remarks of the chairman of the Constitution Committee, MK Simcha Rothman, who presented the proposal. “It is balanced, responsible, and significantly different from what should have been enacted,” Rothman claimed. “The cause of reasonableness is a cause that the State of Israel managed to do without for many years, and still during the dark years, believe it or not, the sun rose every morning.”

While the approval of the first reading is a small step in the judicial reform process, it’s an enormous leap forward for Israel. Reports are saying the number of protestors has dwindled again. In the end, democracy and the truth always win and there’s no stopping it.

Sources:
Knesset approves reduction of reasonableness cause in first reading, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, July 11, 2023

Protest movement fails Netanyahu’s ‘reasonableness’ test, by Alex Traiman/JNS, July 12, 2023

Besides blocking the roads for millions of citizens of Israel, in their righteous anger and frustration, the anarchists have really started to lose it.

Early Tuesday morning, the anarchists placed a baby on the road to block traffic. They later tried to claim it was photoshopped and that no one actually put a baby on the road to block the cars, but the photographer confirmed to reporter Amit Segal that the photograph is real.

While we’re shaking our heads, we’re not surprised. It’s well known that the PA uses children as human shields to protect them from defensive action by Israel’s security forces. That the Israeli left has gone this far in their quest to take down the government and make their statement is an outright travesty. That they are following tactics used by the PA is even worse. It speaks volumes about the lengths of evil they will go to just to hold on to their politics.

Source:
Anarchists Use Baby to Block Road; Attack Reporter and Policemen; Block Ambulances, and More, by Jewish Press News Desk, July 11, 2023

It’s a cliché that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one is free to have an opinion on who is at fault for violence in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank). But honest journalism forbids distorting and omitting material context to conform to the journalist’s preconceived opinions. Inaccurate coverage serves no one, especially not the victims of violent conflict.

Yet misrepresentation of facts pervades Western media coverage of the background and context surrounding violence in and emanating from the “West Bank.”

Source:
Debunking the media narrative on Judea and Samaria violence, by David M. Litman/JNS, July 13, 2023