Castrated Courts = Dying Democracy

As the air flight begins touchdown at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel-Aviv, the pilot generally announces “Bruchim ha-ba-im l’Yisrael”… welcome to Israel.

Very soon, that welcome message will be a “welcome to the new Turkey”. The Israeli dictator Netanyahu is copying his role-model, the Turkish dictator Erdogan.

In despotic countries, the ruling party and its leader make and enforce the rules of law. The courts simply act as puppets in enforcing laws which are un-democratic

Such is the situation we in Israel are now facing. The land of milk and honey is now being turned into a land of sour milk laced with hot pepper sauce. Undrinkable for freedom-loving people.

In America, the real land of the free and definitely the home of the brave, not even the president could overturn decisions made by the Supreme Court. America’s constitution gives separate powers to the Legislative and to the Executive.
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While Israel has a set of principles known as the Basic Law, it does not have a constitution. Power rests in the hands of a prime minister and members of the Knesset.

Our current prime minister, Cry-Bibi Netanyahu, is determined, with the aid of zealous sick politicians like Bezalel Smotrich, to reduce the powers and rulings of the High Court of Justice, a.k.a. our Supreme Court.

It is their stated intention of curbing the strength of the courts and weakening the remnants of our democracy by overturning the authority of the courts and transferring powers to the Knesset, a parliament consisting of 120 members, most of whom are not versed in law.

Additionally, Netanyahu intends to revive certain laws that were declared illegal by the courts. By this action, he is effectually castrating the courts of law which lead to the death of our democracy.

President Rivlin has allowed Netanyahu until the 29th of May to form a government. If he (hopefully) fails to put together a coalition, the president must appoint someone from another party to be the new prime minister.

Our courts represent the highest standards of law and judgement. It cannot, it must not, be overtaken by political bandits for their own benefit, particularly for immunity from prosecution. That is precisely why Netanyahu is supporting the proposed Knesset law deleting power from the courts. He simply does not want to go to prison for his crimes. And he will not look good in orange garments, the uniform of criminals.

The people of Israel MUST take to the streets with protest signs denouncing any interference with our courts and judges. A citizen who remains silent is a co-conspirator in the dying process of our democracy.

We recall the tragic incident which resulted in the assassination of a former well-respected prime minister. Yitzchak Rabin was elected by the ballot and was murdered by the bullet.

We must never permit a return to madness. Netanyahu and his puppets can be ousted in a democratic way but without any physical harm.

Our courts must always represent what is the best of our country. It MUST NOT be shriveled down in its actions and rulings. It MUST NOT be overturned by corrupt politicians seeking what is best for them but ignoring what is best for us…the people, the citizens of the State of Israel.

Many North American Jews with whom I have oral and written contact have asked me “why can’t Israelis impeach a corrupt politician like they do in America?” We unfortunately do not have that option available to us. In America and elsewhere, voters elect a candidate by name. In Israel, we elect a party, not a candidate. It makes it extremely more difficult to toss out corruption with the corrupt. It is very difficult for us to “clean house”. The last of our great political leaders was the late and great Prime Minister Menachem Begin, of blessed memory. He was Israel’s version of Abraham Lincoln, honest in every way.

As the French national anthem loudly shouts “aux armes, citoyens”… to arms, citizens… we too, we the people, must use our strongest weapon to defeat those who would turn Israel into a new Turkey.

That weapon is “kol ha am”… the voice of the people. Use it. Shout it. March in protest with it.

And be responsible for preserving our democracy which is being killed by political and corrupt tyrants !