Opponents of the Government’s Legal Reform Can Relax

Ma’ariv, Israel, February 7

The right-wing government’s demand to postpone, for the ninth time, the evacuation of the Khan Al-Ahmar outpost until June accurately characterizes its “all talk” approach. Since the Likud came to power in 1977, the right-wing public has been disappointed by the lack of governance in state institutions, which they argue is conducted according to the Left’s liberal world view. In response, the Likud has blamed its non-right-wing coalition partners for preventing the implementation of a conservative agenda. After four-and-a-half years, a right-wing government finally has been established in Israel, with no one to prevent or impede its actions. Yet there have been promises and talk without any real action. In October 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared that the eviction of Khan Al-Ahmar was imminent, following the demolition orders for all buildings in the complex that were issued in February 2017 and the High Court ruling in May 2018 that the orders must be enforced. Despite this, the Netanyahu government has repeatedly postponed the execution of the orders, with the ninth postponement taking place just last week. It is clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a leader who lacks courage when it comes to making difficult decisions. This is evidenced by the recent debacle surrounding Khan Al-Ahmar. The petition to the High Court to evict the village was made by the right-wing organization Regavim, whose founders include current Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich and his colleagues from the far Right of the current government have remained silent on the matter. Netanyahu’s failure to act decisively highlights his lack of leadership and reveals a government that has no commitment to uphold basic human rights. In the light of this, I urge those opposed to the government’s legal revolution to remain calm, rather than panic. This government has proved to be all talk and no action. Netanyahu previously promised to eradicate Hamas and annex the Jordan Valley, while Itamar Ben-Gvir declared that he would oversee governance in the south and guarantee personal security for all citizens. Similarly, the government spoke of shutting down the broadcasting corporation, only to go back on its promise. The 100 days of grace that this government has been given to start fulfilling its promises have not yet passed, and it is too early to pass judgment. However, the way in which the government was formed and its conduct over the past month show that the expected results have been realized. The government’s focus on legal reform, even at the expense of disregarding the High Court’s ruling on Khan Al-Ahmar, suggests they seek to introduce the reform law in the Knesset as a show of strength, only to negotiate a final version with the opposition. Ultimately, they wish to achieve a consensus between all parties, allowing them to proudly declare that they have kept their promise to reform the justice system. – Efraim Ganor (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)