New government won’t harm Israel’s legal system, PM vows

Netanyahu dismisses concerns relating to Ayelet Shaked’s goals as justice minister; also rejects accusations he seeks to control the media

By Raphael Ahren 28 May 2015, 10:58 pm

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Raphael Ahren is a former diplomatic correspondent at The Times of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 19, 2015 (Photo credit: Flash90/Olivier Fitoussi/POOL)

Israel’s justice system will not be harmed by his new government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Thursday, rejecting fears that his right-wing-Orthodox coalition will take steps to weaken the Supreme Court.

“In the six years I was prime minister, no harm was done to the Supreme Court. I didn’t allow for that happen,” he said, and pledged to continue to safeguard Israel’s legal system.

The appointment of the Jewish Home party’s Ayelet Shaked as justice minister in the coalition has raised concerns that she might seek to compromise the court’s independence. In a first speech last week, Shaked said she planned to “work toward strengthening the Knesset’s sovereignty.”

Speaking to Israeli reporters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu also denied that he is seeking to stifle the media, claiming that he is holding onto the communications ministry because he is personally dedicated to the matter.

Newly appointed Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked speaks at the annual Bar Association Conference in Eilat, on May 18, 2015. (Yossi Zamir/Flash 90)

“I utterly reject the claim that I want to control the Israeli media and act against a free press,” he told diplomatic correspondents in a rare briefing.

In recent years, Netanyahu has resisted opposition efforts to pass legislation that would threaten Yisrael Hayom, Israel’s most widely read newspaper, a free daily owned by billionaire Netanyahu supporter Sheldon Adelson.

“I want to increase competition,” Netanyahu said. In his previous terms, he acted to break up monopolies and free markets, he said. “I believe in competition, whether it’s about products, services or ideas.”

There are some “natural monopolies,” such as the Israel Electric Company, but the communications market doesn’t fall under this category, the prime minister said, and therefore he wants to increase the number of media outlets.

“A prime minister can choose several issues that he wants to deal with, and that’s what I’m doing,” he said, explaining why he has appointed his protégé Ofir Akunis as a “minister in the Communications Ministry” but kept the position of communications minister for himself.