Judicial overhaul bill will undermine vital US interests: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
24 Jul 2023 00:16

A columnist for The New York Times tells Biden that the judicial overhaul bill would do serious damage to the US strategic interests in the Middle East.

Israeli settlers protest against plans by occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel Aviv, on July 22, 2023 (AP)

In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, columnist Thomas Friedman indicated that passing the judicial overhaul without a broad Israeli consensus would harm US interests.

In a letter, Friedman called on US President Joe Biden to issue instructions for all his ministers to contact their Israeli counterparts immediately and inform them that "if Netanyahu moves ahead — without a consensus, fracturing Israeli society and its military — it will not only undermine the shared values" between "Israel" and the US, "but also do serious damage to our own strategic interests in the Middle East."

The writer urged the US President to order what he called an "airlift" to save "Israel" from being destroyed from within, recalling former US President Richard Nixon's order to extend a massive airlift of weaponry to support the Israeli occupation during the October 1973 war against Egypt and Syria.

According to Friedman, if "Netanyahu continues trying to ram through a bill that would strip Israel’s Supreme Court of its most important legal authority — to check extreme appointments or decisions of Israel’s political echelon — and do so without a semblance of national consensus, it will fracture Israel’s military and undermine not only shared values between the U.S. and Israel but also vital U.S. interests."

In his letter to Biden, Friedman stressed that "as the Knesset moves to vote on this issue on Monday, something very important could break in Israel and in our relationship with Israel. And once it’s gone, it will never come back."

This comes as Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine reported earlier on Sunday that demonstrations are ongoing against the judicial overhaul that the government of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to pass.

On Sunday morning, the Israeli Knesset started the process of deliberating a bill that would eliminate judicial assessment of the "reasonability" of cabinet and ministerial decisions.

Our correspondent pointed out that what is happening in the meantime is one protest in the face of another.

Israeli media reported that thousands of Israeli settlers arrived in the vicinity of the Knesset to protest against the approval of the judicial overhaul, with the increasing momentum of the demonstrations.

On the other hand, the media reported that pro-overhaul supporters are gathering on "Kaplan Street" in "Tel Aviv" for a protest in support of the government's plan.

The media warned against a dramatic escalation that could occur during Sunday's demonstrations in "Tel Aviv" and occupied Al-Quds.

צילומים מהרחפן הסופר בשיטת חיים לוינסון של תבהלה 12 נכון לשעה זו כ 9.362.446 מיליון מפגינים בקפלן. pic.twitter.com/VxNYUiGAKM
— חיים.🇮🇱 (@zacaiha) July 23, 2023

The Israeli occupation's Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis warned that "we are facing an attempt to carry out a military coup in Israel."

It is noteworthy that the Israeli government had postponed its session, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday after Netanyahu was admitted to the hospital to undergo surgery to implant a heart pacemaker.

Earlier on Sunday, "Israel's" former chief economist of the Ministry of Finance, Yoel Naveh, warned that the insistence of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on passing the judicial overhaul will severely harm the Israeli economy, Israel media reported.

According to Naveh, a unilateral formula to change the political system in a way that does not enjoy wide consensus can inflict very serious economic damage.

In the same context, the Israeli Channel 12 reported that there is an ongoing discussion over a possible strike in the Israeli economic sector, in protest against the judicial overhaul, adding that the leaders of the economic sector will meet on Sunday evening to discuss the matter.

In addition, The Times of "Israel" mentioned that "the heads of major businesses will meet later this evening as they deliberate declaring a strike to protest the judicial overhaul."

Israeli media noted that the strike would include commercial centers, gas stations, high-tech companies, law firms, and factories, pointing out that the decision is dependent on the stance of Histadrut, "Israel's" general trade union center.

The Times of "Israel" cited Channel 12 as saying that "a leading business forum representing 150 leading businesses announces a strike" on Monday, which will see "some shopping centers and gas stations closed, and some businesses working in a reduced framework."

On Saturday, more than half a million settlers participated in anti-overhaul demonstrations, which entered the 29th week in a row.