CYHSB WEEKLY

Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys

Volume 17, Issue 17

Electric Vehicles: The Next Generation of Cars?

Page 3

Cooper Clicks

Page 4

New Corner! Avi’s Awesome Authorities

Page 5

Early Season MLB

Predictions and Season

Breakdown

Page 6

Parshas Bamidbar: The Power of Our Words

Page 7

This week’s Weekly is sponsored by the Weekly staff in honor of their hard work.

Israel’s Judicial Reforms: Fall of a Democracy or Necessary Step?

Ethan VanderWalde (25’)

Over the past few months, hundreds of thousands of protesters have been taking the streets of Israel by storm. Streets were blocked, institutions closed down, and many of the country’s workers went on strike. People waving Israeli flags and chanting “Democracy!” marched in TelAviv, and some of the demonstrations got so out of control that police had to step in. At one point in late March, so many workers went on strike that they had to close Ben-Gurion airport for several hours. All of these protests and strikes were in response to Benjamin Netanyahu’s governmental and judicial reforms, radical changes to Israeli law that had been going on since January. These laws and policies, which many Israelis see as a ploy by Netanyahu and his right-wing government to gain more power, have been a source of political discontent and disagreement in Israel since the beginning of the year, and the outcome of the argument can affect Israel and the world for years to come.

At the end of last year, Benjamin Netanyahu, who had served as prime minister of Israel Continued on next page: for 12 straight years, was reelected to be head of Israel’s most religious, right-wing coalition to date. As soon as the new government was sworn in, discussions began as to how to ensure that laws can be passed quickly and effectively. The Israeli government has been relatively unstable over the past few years, with multiple elections and changes in power hindering significant progress. To solve this issue, Netanyahu and his supporters proposed several reforms that would increase the power of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), and decrease the ability of the judicial branch to veto new laws. Three of these reforms have been particularly controversial, and even some of Netanyahu’s allies have voiced concerns regarding them.

The first of these laws was written to address the issue of the Israeli Supreme Court being able to strike down legislation for reasons that some people view as arbitrary. This new proposed legislation, known as the Override clause, would give the Knesset the power to override any Supreme Court decision with a simple majority of 61. This significantly decreases the authority of the court, and allows the Knesset to pass laws almost unhindered. The next reform gives the Knesset more say in choosing judges in the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court. This again increases the government power and influence in the courts. The third reform is not related to the diminishing of power in the judicial system, but rather increases power in the executive branch. Presently, according to Israeli law, ministries of the executive branch are required to accept advice from legal advisers. These advisers are appointed through a public process, and are intended to assist and balance the power of the executive branch. Under this new reform, legal advisers would be appointed directly by the ministers themselves, and their advice would be considered only a recommendation, not legally binding. This would essentially turn advisers into yes-men, allowing ministers to dismiss and appoint new ones at will.

These three big laws are the center of the new parliament’s overall reformation plan; however, there are also many other potential changes that would increase the power of the executive branch. These include laws that prohibit criminal charges against Prime Ministers, laws enabling public servants to be elected by politicians instead of by public vote, and even laws that would widen the authority of the Rabbinical Court. While some of these laws appeal to members of right-wing and religious political groups, especially those concerning the Rabbinical Court, many Israelis feel that these new laws were made for the purpose of ridding the government of checks and balances. Many of these laws also seem to increase the power of ministers of the executive branch, especially Netanyahu, who is now being faced with criminal charges of fraud and bribery. Because of this, many Israelis feel that these reforms could harm the democracy of their country. A public poll by the Israeli Democracy Institute found that 72% of Israelis want a compromise to be reached regarding the reforms, and 66% think the Supreme Court should still be able to strike down laws.

The issue of new judicial reforms is not just a problem concerning politics and government, but has even caused other issues regarding the economy and security of Israel. Mass strikes have ensued because of the proposed legislation and Netanyahu’s policies, and Israel’s economy has suffered tremendously. Many reserve soldiers have also protested against the reforms by not showing up to training, and even soldiers in active duty have voiced their disapproval and concerns. This could cause a lot of harm to the state of Israel, because if the IDF isn’t unified, it can’t fully defend our country.

Torah Mitzion Kollel Member Netanel Aaronson explained the extent of the danger and situation: “The IDF has a very important job: to protect the state of Israel from its enemies. Therefore, any actions that soldiers take against the state of Israel - for the politically right or left - hurts the unit of the army and disrupts their job. If every soldier is not happy with something going on i n the country and decides to protest, the IDF will not function properly.” As Netanel explained, this controversy of the new judicial reforms doesn’t only affect the politicians and public servants of Israel, but every citizen’s safety and security.

As a Jewish community in Memphis, Tennessee, many might be wondering how Israeli politics could possibly affect us. However, as history has shown us time and time again, the safety and security of the Jewish people depends on stability in Israel. It is vital for us to be able to rely on Israel as a country that will accept us even if all others don’t, and these new laws regarding the Israeli government could change the way other countries view Israel and the Jewish people. I hope that a compromise will soon be reached concerning this issue, and that Israel will continue to be a safe haven for Jews all over the world.