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See the sources for this article and more research in the Additional Reading section.
Israel entered a sad political chapter the last month. During the recent 3rd national election, Likud and the “right” parties captured 59 seats out of 120 in the Knesset. Blue & White and the “left” parties captured 61.
The coup started when President Reuven Rivlin, who has the obligation to decide who should be given the first chance to try to form a government, chose Benny Gantz, who heads Blue & White.
The Blue & White’s coalition included 15 Arab Joint List representatives, who should not be allowed in any ruling government, or even be allowed to serve in the Knesset, because they reject (a) Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State, and (b) Israel’s Basic Laws – which are the equivalent of America’s Constitution. By this coalition, Rivlin neglected his own responsibility to be loyal to the Basic Laws. Moreover, Rivlin allowed Blue & White to illegitimately take over Knesset committees before the new government was officially formed.
The left-leaning Israeli Supreme Court joined the coup, claiming it could dictate this protocol change onto the Speaker, by insisting that Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein illegally allow a vote on electing a new Speaker. In response, Edelstein rightly resigned.
Israel’s Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, in the midst of the election, indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to hurt his chances of winning, to little effect. Now, Mandelblit wants a formal “kangaroo court” trial. The AG suffers from a massive conflict-of-interest, in that if he successfully “frames“ Netanyahu, he could probably join the anti-Israel, leftist Supreme Court.
So how will this attempted coup run its course? Fortunately, sanity prevailed. A unity government has been formed at this virus-infected desperate time, with Netanyahu as the PM. Hopefully, Netanyahu’s fake corruption charges will be dropped as are Benny Gantz’s probable but real corruption charges, regarding his activities with the Fifth Dimension company, that he incompetently ran into bankruptcy.
So what lessons have we learned? In the future:
(1) Israel’s Attorney General, and Supreme Court justices, should be directly appointed by the Prime Minister, subject to approval by the Knesset Judiciary Committee.
(2) Israel’s Supreme Court must be stripped of its power to nominate its future justices. The elected political forces must regain control over the out-of-control judiciary. The Israeli judiciary must be prevented from participating in any future coups.
Israel election update: No coalition in sight – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Rivlin to task Gantz with forming government after he receives 61 endorsements – The Times of Israel
Arab parties: Blue & White must openly request our support – Globes
Basic Laws of the State of Israel – The Knesset
Joint List condemns Gantz’s actions, says he has no ‘political backbone’ – The Jerusalem Post
In bombshell, Yuli Edelstein resigns to avoid calling vote on new speaker – The Times of Israel
Israel’s Supreme Court rigs the game again – Haaretz
Netanyahu indicted for corruption in three cases, in first for a sitting PM – The Times of Israel
Israel Coalition Politics: Why Benny Gantz Threw in with Benjamin Netanyahu – National Review
Israel needs a ‘national responsibility government’ – Israel Hayom
In Israel’s third elections, nobody won and everybody lost – The Jerusalem Post
Israel’s democracy was never in danger – JNS.org
