INSS: judicial reform threatens Israeli national security

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net
21 Mar 2023 23:34

The Israeli Institute for National Security Studies revealed that “Israeli” national security is faced with an ominous combination of severe threats, economic deterioration in light of a global economic crisis, and widening rifts in its relations with the United States.

Chief of IOF Military Intelligence during a conference held by the Institute (INSS)

The Israeli Institute for National Security Studies revealed in a recently published report that Israeli national security is faced with an ominous combination of severe threats, economic deterioration in light of a global economic crisis, and widening rifts in its relations with the United States.

The institute noted in a report that "Israeli society is in the midst of an unprecedented internal conflict stemming from the proposed judicial reform, which magnifies these threats and impairs our ability to tackle them."

The report also clarified that “the proposed reform entails a far-reaching change of the political and judicial regime of Israel, a change that many perceive as a serious threat to democracy.” The amendment is being promoted hastily without establishing a broad consensus.

The report added, "a widespread public outcry is growing in extent and intensity, inevitably seeping into all aspects of life in Israel," including into the Israeli occupation forces.

It is no coincidence that the legislative process of judicial amendment is often referred to as a government coup; the purpose of the legislation is to "concentrate all powers in the hands of the government," while reducing "significant powers of the judiciary” and neutralizes the supervision and accountability of the government.

Last week, Israeli media reported that 250 current and former senior officials published a poignant letter in which they accused Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of creating and assimilating destructive "factionalism", hatred, fear, and a culture of lies, and of fatally damaging "social cohesion."

Against the backdrop of the Netanyahu government's "judicial overhaul" that would undermine the Israeli Supreme Court, the signatories underlined that the government runs amok into the abyss must be stopped, and a correction process with "a broad national consensus that will ensure the security and future" of "Israel" must begin.

The letter accused Netanyahu and his government of "instilling distrust in the legal system" and violating the "principle of separation of powers."

It also blamed the government "for putting the solid Israeli economy at real risk" due to the bad path it is following, which is leading to a "regime change" under the name of "judicial reform".