Opposition vows to keep up fight after judicial bill passes 1st reading

‘Just the beginning’: Government celebrates passing 1st reading of judicial bill

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a Knesset faction meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism party, July 10, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Government ministers and MKs celebrate passing a bill that will rein in judicial oversight of politicians in its first reading.

The legislation will remove judges’ ability to review the “reasonableness” of politicians’ decisions, if it passes its second and third readings.

Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich says, “64 supporters against 56 opponents for reining in reasonableness. Tonight democracy won.”

“We will continue in the second and third readings,” Smotrich says.

“We’ve begun,” says National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Likud MK Shlomo Karhi says, “64-56 is democracy! and it’s just the beginning.”

Likud’s Miki Zohar says, “The bill passed today is an important first step on the way to fixing the judicial system and restoring public trust that has been lost in this important system.”

“Every few years, the people determine who is reasonable and who is not. That’s how democracy works,” Zohar says, referring to elections.

‘Not over’: Opposition vows to continue fighting judicial overhaul

Head of the Yesh Atid party MK Yair Lapid speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on July 3, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition leaders vow to continue fighting the government’s efforts to overhaul the judiciary, after the coalition muscles through a bill that will curtain judges’ oversight of politicians.

“Like thieves in the night, the government passed a bill canceling reasonableness, and proving that nothing interests them except corrupt, anti-democratic laws,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says on Twitter. “The fight is not over. We will never give up on the values of the state of Israel. Tomorrow millions of Israelis will take to the streets with the Israeli flag to say: we will not give up.”

“It’s always darkest before the dawn. The struggle continues,” says National Unity party leader Benny Gantz.

“The regime coup government carried out an attack against Israeli democracy tonight. Lying to the public and trampling democracy. The protest will provide the public’s answer,” says Labor party leader Merav Michaeli. “Israel will not be a dictatorship — democracy will win.”

Knesset approves first reading of ‘reasonableness’ bill, 64 to 56; opposition chants: ‘Shame’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Justice Minister Yariv Levin pictured as the Knesset approves the first reading of the "reasonableness" bill, early on July 11, 2023 (Knesset Channel screenshot)

The Knesset approves the “reasonableness” bill, a part of its planned judicial overhaul, in its first reading.

The bill passes 64-56 — with all members of the governing coalition voting in favor, and all members of the opposition voting against.

Coalition members clap hands, and Justice Minister Yariv Levin is embraced by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

The result is met with repeated cries of “shame” from the opposition benches. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana orders all opposition MKs who stood and shouted “shame” to be temporarily removed from the chamber.

Opposition MKs shout ‘Shame’ as the Knesset approves the first reading of the “reasonableness” bill, early on July 11, 2023 (Knesset channel screenshot)

The bill now goes back to the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, where it will be prepared for its second and third (final) readings. The coalition aims to get it enacted into law before the Knesset breaks for the summer recess at the end of the month.

The committee is set to meet tomorrow to begin that process.

The bill’s brief text completely bars courts from using the reasonableness test to invalidate or even discuss decisions made by the cabinet, ministers, and “other elected officials, as set by law.”

The Knesset approves the first reading of the “reasonableness” bill, early on July 12, 2023 (Knesset channel screenshot)

The bill is the first part of the coalition’s judicial overhaul package to advance since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended the legislative blitz in late March.

Levin, ahead of vote: Reasonableness legislation will restore Israel to roster of democratic nations

Justice Minister Yariv Levin speaks in the Knesset ahead of the first reading of the "reasonableness" bill, July 11, 2023 (Channel 13 screenshot)

Speaking to the Knesset shortly before it votes on the first reading of the “reasonableness” bill, Justice Minister Yariv Levin declares that “this law” — which will still have to pass its second and third readings —  “restores Israel to the roster of democratic nations.”

“It doesn’t place the government above the law,” he says, but, rather, allows the government to carry out the policies for which it won public support.

It will change the current situation, he says, under which a High Court bench of as few as three, non-elected judges — “on the basis of what they personally consider ‘reasonable,’ a subjective and in some cases political” assessment — can prevent the elected government from carrying out its policies.

“This is the moment to finally correct the judicial system,” he concludes, after a speech marked by considerable heckling from the opposition benches.

MK Simcha Rothman, who steered the bill through the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to this first reading, concludes the debate with a short speech asking parliament to back the legislation.

US intelligence assessment says Iran not currently developing nuclear weapons

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, at his office compound in Tehran, Iran, June 11, 2023. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Via AP)

A US intelligence assessment says Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons at the moment, but has ramped up activities that could help it develop them.

The assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence says Iran has moved to increase its capacity to produce an atomic bomb since 2020, but has stopped short of that so far.

The findings correspond with previous US assessments about Iran’s nuclear program, although many in Congress and elsewhere have been skeptical of those.

“Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device,” according to the two-page unclassified synopsis of the report. However, Iran is also pursuing “research and development activities that would bring it closer to producing the fissile material needed for completing a nuclear device following a decision to do so,” the report says.

Volcano begins erupting in an uninhabited valley in southwest Iceland

Smoke billowing from flowing lava is seen in the distance during an volcanic eruption near Litli Hrutur, southwest of Reykjavik in Iceland, on July 10, 2023. (Jeremie RICHARD / AFP)

A volcano in southwestern Iceland begins erupting, the country’s meteorological authorities say, 11 months after its last eruption officially ended.

The eruption is in an uninhabited valley near the mountain Litli-Hrútur, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik. The area, known broadly as Fagradalsfjall volcano, has erupted twice in the last two years, without causing damage or disruptions to flights despite being near Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub.

The airport remains open and no flights have been affected.

“The lava fissure appears small at first sight,” television reporter Kristjan Unnarsson, who was aboard a helicopter about an hour after the eruption began Monday afternoon, tells viewers.

Authorities urge people not to trek to the volcano.

Turkey agrees to back Swedish NATO bid: Stoltenberg

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson shake hands in front of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg prior to their meeting, on the eve of a NATO summit, in Vilnius on July 10, 2023. (YVES HERMAN / POOL / AFP)

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden’s application to join NATO to his parliament for approval, the alliance’s head Jens Stoltenberg says.

After talks in Vilnius with Erdogan and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Stoltenberg says Turkey agreed to move forward, declaring: “This is a historic day.”

Likud MK to BOI chief who warned of overhaul’s economic harm: ‘Don’t discuss things you don’t understand’

Likud MK Tally Gotliv speaks at a conference in Airport City on March 20, 2023. (Flash90)

Likud MK Tally Gotliv lays into Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron, who has warned that the government’s judicial overhaul package will damage the economy.

“I say to the Bank of Israel governor: Know your place. Don’t express your opinion on a subject you don’t understand,” Gotliv says, during a Channel 13 interview.

Likud minister Amsalem mocks IAF colonel who nearly lost eye at anti-overhaul protest

MK David Amsalem at a discussion on the government's judicial overhaul plans in the Knesset in Jerusalem, on February 20, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Likud Minister David Amsalem mocks Israeli Air Force colonel Udi Ori, who was struck in the face by a police water cannon last week, during an anti-overhaul protest in Tel Aviv and nearly lost his eye.

“There was one person who was scratched near his eye, and BBC was sent to interview him. All of the TV networks showed up. Why? Because some elitist hurt his eye,” Amsalem says during a plenum debate.

PA’s Abbas said set to visit Jenin for first time in years, following IDF op

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ramallah, West Bank, on January 31, 2023. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Pool/AFP)

For the first time in years, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Jenin on Wednesday, following last week’s IDF counterterror operation in the northern West Bank city, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

UN says 460 homes were damaged, 23 destroyed, 40 families displaced by IDF Jenin op

A UN spokesperson says that during last week’s IDF counterterror operation in Jenin, 460 homes were damaged in and around the city’s refugee camp, 23 of which were destroyed and 47 of which have been made uninhabitable.

About 40 families remain displaced, the spokesperson says.

Knesset Guard says Yesh Atid MKs responsible for letting protesters in building

Anti-judicial overhaul activists are removed from the Knesset, July 10, 2023. (Twitter screenshot, used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

The Knesset Spokesperson’s Office issues a statement following the forcible removal of anti-overhaul protesters by parliamentary ushers saying that a police complaint had been filed against the demonstrators over allegations that they had sought to harm public order and the democratic process.

All guests in the Knesset must receive an invitation from a lawmaker in order to enter, and the Knesset Spokesperson’s Office reveals that Yesh Atid MK Merav Cohen and Naor Shiri from the opposition were the ones who signed off on their invitations.

The statement says the pair will be brought before the Knesset’s Ethics Committee, which would decide whether to sanction them. It is unclear whether the lawmakers were aware of what the demonstrators were planning.

Netanyahu said to tell Herzog he won’t pause overhaul legislation to allow for talks

President Isaac Herzog, right, grants Likud party chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu the mandate to form a new government, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on November 13, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/ Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Isaac Herzog’s office that the coalition does not plan to stop legislating the “reasonableness” bill to allow for talks with the opposition, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

According to the report, Netanyahu wants the bill to be passed into law before the Knesset breaks for summer recess in the coming weeks.

The report also quotes unnamed senior coalition officials threatening that the government will fall if the bill is not passed.

Israeli man lightly hurt in stabbing in Palestinian town — IDF

Illustrative: Israeli soldiers at the Tapuah checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus, May 30, 2014. (AP Photo/ Nasser Ishtayeh/ File)

An Israeli man was stabbed and lightly wounded in the West Bank Palestinian town of Dayr Qadis earlier today, the military says.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, several Israeli civilians who entered the town reported that a Palestinian man approached them and tried to stab them.

One man was independently taken to a clinic in the nearby settlement of Modi’in Ilit, where he was treated for a minor injury to his hand, medical officials say. He did not require hospitalization.

The IDF says soldiers are searching the area for the suspects.

The background of the incident is not immediately known.

Despite being discouraged by authorities, Israelis frequently enter Palestinian towns for inexpensive shopping, vehicle repairs, or even dental care.

In January, an Israeli man was stabbed in Dayr Qadis, after getting into an argument with a local.

3 Yesh Atid MKs don black t-shirts with Israeli flags during plenum deliberations

Yesh Atid MKs wear black t-shirts adorned with Israeli flags during plenum deliberations on the "reasonableness" bill, at the Knesset, July 10, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

To underscore their opposition to the judicial overhaul, Yesh Atid MKs Ram Ben Barak, Meir Cohen, and Meirav Cohen don black t-shirts adorned with Israeli flags, as the Knesset deliberates a bill to constrict the judiciary’s review powers over the “reasonableness” of government decisions.

Gantz says judicial overhaul will ‘crush entire country if we don’t stop it now’

National Unity leader Benny Gantz speaks during plenum deliberations on the 'reasonableness' bill, at the Knesset, July 10, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition party head MK Benny Gantz says that the reasonableness curtailment bill is a gateway to removing other judicial checks on political power.

“The significance of the law that you are seeking to advance here today is the beginning of a dangerous process of removing restrictions from the government and erasing judicial review,” the National Unity party head says.

“This snowball that is starting to roll here today will grow, gain momentum, and crush the entire country, if we do not stop it now,” he adds.

If courts cannot use the reasonableness standard to scrutinize elected officials’ decisions, Gantz says that election law, the attorney general’s independence, and the appointment of competent officials are in danger.

He renews his call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the legislation and return to judicial reform negotiations, previously hosted by President Isaac Herzog, before Gantz and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid froze them in June, over fears that the coalition would not staff the judicial appointments authority.

Turning to Netanyahu, Gantz says: “Don’t abandon the State of Israel, don’t abandon the citizens of Israel, don’t abandon security and the economy. Stop everything — send your team to the President’s Residence now, talk about everything there and with a comprehensive and long-term view. It will be complex, that’s right.”

“The responsibility is on you – the results of the current unilateral process will harm all of us,” he adds.

Lapid says coalition pushing ‘reasonableness’ bill for corrupt ends: ‘Who do you work for?’

Opposition leader speaks during plenum deliberations on the "reasonableness" bill, at the Knesset, July 10, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Responding to Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman in a fiery speech, opposition leader Yair Lapid accuses the coalition of pushing the
“reasonableness” curtailment bill to pursue corrupt and self-serving aims.

“At least tell the truth,” he says from the Knesset rostrum.

“This is a law that says you can appoint a convicted criminal minister,” Lapid continues, referring reference to serial financial Shas leader Aryeh Deri. He says the law will let the coalition “fire the attorney general, like you begged to do yesterday” during a heated cabinet meeting, and also “arrange a plea deal for your boss” that would lead to the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s graft trial.

“Who do you work for?” Lapid shouts.

The Yesh Atid leader also attacks the coalition for focusing its energy on the judicial overhaul, rather than issues like the cost-of-living and security.

“How is this connected to Israeli citizens making a living? How is it connected to Israel citizens’ security?” he says. “You promised to help the weak and to protect Israel’s security… you are doing nothing but this craziness.”

Lapid says that should the bill pass into law following its second and third readings, he hopes that the High Court of Justice will strike it down.

“And if not, your government will fall by voters, because they see you don’t work for them,” he says.

Yesh Atid MK says willing to return to talks even if ‘reasonableness’ bill clears 1st vote

MK Karine Elharrar speaks at Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee hearing, June 25, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

Yesh Atid MK Karin Elharrar says her party would be willing to return to negotiations with the coalition to achieve a comprehensive judicial reform package, even if a bill limiting the judicial tool of reasonableness is passed in its first Knesset reading, as is expected later tonight.

But she accuses the government of seeking to undermine Israeli democracy incrementally and claims government appointments would become completely corrupt if the reasonableness bill is passed into law. She charges the measure would merely the first step in the coalition’s efforts to subvert the rule of law.

“The government tried to do this via the Hungarian method, all in one go and by ripping off the band-aid, but the protests stopped them. Now they’re trying the Polish method, doing it bit by bit so that people might not pay attention,” Elharrar tells The Times of Israel.

The MK, who was a member of the Yesh Atid negotiation team for a compromise solution over judicial reform, rejects claims by the coalition that the opposition ever agreed to the terms of the government’s reasonableness bill, although concedes that the opposition teams did make some compromises, but only within the framework of a comprehensive judicial reform package.

“Limits on reasonableness would be balanced out by how judges are appointed, and by a Basic Law: Legislation, and a Basic Law: Judiciary, it all comes in one package, and how there wouldn’t be any further legislation after this package,” says Elharrar.

The Yesh Atid MK and former government minister rejects claims that the opposition showed bad faith in quitting the compromise negotiations, insisting that the coalition’s decision to thwart the convening of the Judicial Selection Committee violated an agreement with the opposition and that it was the government’s bad faith that causes the talks to fall apart.

“The coalition should elect its representative to the Judicial Selection Committee, stop the legislation, and then we can go back to the [negotiations at the] president’s residence,” insists Elharrar.

Knesset begins deliberations on ‘reasonableness’ bill ahead of vote

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and other coalition members at the Knesset on July 10, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Knesset has begun the first reading of the coalition’s controversial bill to limit judicial review over the reasonableness of elected politicians’ decisions, with lawmakers due to vote on the measure later tonight.

Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chair MK Simcha Rothman introduces the bill as “balanced” and “responsible,” before being immediately interrupted by several opposition MKs.

Three Yesh Atid lawmakers are tossed out of the plenum for being disruptive, within minutes of debate opening.

MK Yorai Lahav Herzano calls the coalition “a dictatorship” as he is escorted out.

Likud MK: Nothing can prevent passage of ‘reasonableness’ bill before Knesset recess

Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky at the Knesset on July 10, 2023. (Jeremy Sharon/Times of Israel)

Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky says nothing will stop the passage of the government bill to limit the court’s use of the judicial test of reasonableness from being passed into law before the Knesset recesses in several weeks, and accuses the opposition of having tricked the coalition into stalling its judicial overhaul legislation.

The bill, which would bar the courts from reversing cabinet and ministerial decisions on the grounds of a lack of reasonableness, is set to be approved in its first Knesset reading sometime tonight.

The Likud MK, who was a member of the coalition’s negotiation team to find compromise proposals under the auspices of the President’s Residence, says he was optimistic about a comprehensive agreement until Yesh Atid and National Unity pulled out of negotiations, following a dispute over elections to the Judicial Selection Committee.

“It was very clear at that point that they tricked us. So what now? To return to the negotiations and stop the legislation so they’ll do the same trick again? We have no faith in them,” Milwidsky tells The Times of Israel.

He insists the bill is designed simply to “stop judges from forcing policies on the elected branch of government” and insists that plenty of judicial tools will remain to uphold civil rights even without the use of reasonableness.

“If you don’t like the decisions of elected officials, you can vote them out of office. You can’t do that with judges. With authority comes responsibility. The judges have no responsibility because they are not responsible to anyone,” the MK argues.

Anti-overhaul protesters forcibly removed from Knesset

Members of the Knesset Guard forcibly remove anti-overhaul protesters on July 10, 2023. (Twitter screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Members of the Knesset Guard forcibly remove a number of anti-government protesters from the building, as lawmakers are due to vote on the “reasonableness” bill.

Video shows ushers picking up and dragging several demonstrators sitting on the floor, moving them away from the plenum, where the commotion could be heard as MKs met inside.

עכשיו בכניסת חברי הקואליציה למליאה-
פעילי מחאה התיישבו על הרצפה ופונו על ידי אנשי משמר הכנסת באגרסיביות רבה pic.twitter.com/wwg2xUa4Yn

— Noa Shpigel (@NoaShpigel) July 10, 2023

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana praises the guards for preventing “a gang of law-breakers from blocking the Knesset plenum.”

Outside, opponents of the judicial overhaul are marching near the Knesset.

Netanyahu: Curbing ‘reasonableness’ doctrine won’t end democracy, it will strengthen it

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video statement on July 10, 2023. (Screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Ahead of the vote on the coalition-backed “reasonableness” bill, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defends curbing the High Court’s ability to use the judicial standard in reviewing government decisions.

“The Sohlberg reasonableness [plan] isn’t the end of democracy, but will rather strengthen democracy,” he says in a video statement.

The proposal that Netanyahu is referring to, by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, differs from the current legislation in that it would carve out specific areas the court could no longer scrutinize on grounds of reasonableness, while the bill being advanced by the coalition would institute a blanket ban.

“Even after the fix, the rights of the courts and Israeli citizens will not be harmed in any way,” Netanyahu insists. “The court will continue to inspect the legality of government decisions and appointments.”

“The government will be required to act with good faith, proportionality, fairness and equality,” he adds, saying the Sohlberg proposal shouldn’t be met with mass demonstrations and decisions by military reservists to stop serving.

IDF troops find 2 rocket launchers near northern West Bank settlement

Illustrative: Israeli soldiers operate in the West Bank, August 24, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israel Defense Forces says troops located two rocket launchers and two makeshift projectiles near the northern West Bank settlement of Shaked.

Earlier today, a Palestinian group calling itself the Al-Ayyash Batallion claimed to have launched two rockets from the Jenin area at Shaked.

The IDF says sappers are at the scene investigating the rockets. The remains and the launchers are being taken for investigation.

“The rockets did not pose a threat to the residents” of Shaked, the IDF says.

Citing ‘deep and worrying crisis,’ Herzog calls for return to judicial talks

President Isaac Herzog addresses a memorial ceremony for Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl in Jerusalem on July 9, 2023. (Haim Zach / GPO)

President Isaac Herzog repeats his call for coalition and opposition representatives to resume judicial reform negotiations under his mediation, as the Knesset is due to begin voting on a controversial bill that would block the judiciary from exercising scrutiny over the “reasonableness” of government decisions.

“It’s possible to reach agreement. The sole and most simple solution is to sit and talk,” he says at a public event.

Herzog hails the growing calls of support — “openly and privately” — for the resumption of the talks “regarding the foundational issues tearing us apart,” which he says included the so-called reasonableness bill.

“In the middle of a deep and worrying crisis, the responsible thing to do as a leader is to sit, talk and put Israeli unity before everything,” he says.

He also says both coalition and opposition leaders “must speak and mend the split, and this must happen now.”

UN Palestinian rights official: Israel ‘challenging the very foundations of international legal order’

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese addresses the UN, October 2022. (Screenshot/YouTube, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The lawyer tasked with investigating Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians presents a scathing report accusing the Jewish state of collectively imprisoning the Palestinians, sexually abusing Palestinian women and “challenging the very foundations of the international legal order.”

In her “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,” Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese calls on UN member states to prosecute Israeli officials under universal jurisdiction, and calls on Palestinian Authority security forces to suspend cooperation with Israel “that may lead to violating fundamental rights and freedoms under international law.”

“A 10,700-word report cannot capture the scale and extent of the arbitrary deprivation of liberty in the occupied Palestinian territory,” she writes. “Nor can it convey the suffering of millions of Palestinians who have, directly or indirectly, been affected.”

Albanese accuses Israel of torture, mistreating Palestinians’ corpses, coercing gay Palestinians to provide information, and “invasive strip searches, sexual abuse and threats” toward women.

She also denounces Palestinian self-rule, saying it “has added a layer of repression to Palestinian life under occupation.”

“The security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel has pioneered a direct connection between Palestinian and Israeli detention apparatuses,” she writes.

“Arbitrary arrests and detention carried out by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the de facto authorities in the Gaza Strip have contributed to stifling Palestinians’ rights and freedoms,” she continues, not naming the Hamas terror organization throughout her report.

She accuses Israel of “settler-colonial apartheid” and refers to Israeli communities past the Green Line as “colonies.”

The Italian lawyer blasts Israel’s Supreme Court for approving its policies in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel did not allow her to enter Palestinian areas for her report. In June, the US, on behalf of 27 countries, condemned the open-ended nature of the UN investigation Albanese heads.

Police chief meets with top brass to discuss readiness for overhaul protests tomorrow

Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov 'Kobi' Shabtai addresses a State Control Committee meeting at the Knesset on June 6, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Police chief Kobi Shabtai holds a meeting with top brass on the force’s preparations for expected mass demonstrations tomorrow against the judicial overhaul.

“The Israel Police is an apolitical body that acts in egalitarian manner, while balancing between upholding the right to protest and [having] zero tolerance for violations of the law, harm to symbols of power, violence against officers and damage to infrastructure,” a statement from police says.

Bank of Israel chief warns of ‘heavy economic costs’ from uncertainty over overhaul

Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron speaks at the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) conference in Jerusalem, May 30, 2023. (Oded Karni)

At a press conference on the Bank of Israel’s decision to leave its key interest rate in place, Governor Amir Yaron warns of “heavy economic costs” from continued uncertainty over the government’s judicial overhaul plans.

“It’s important to return stability and certainty to the Israeli economy, ensure the legislative changes are carried out with broad consensus, and safeguard the strength and independence of institutions,” he says.

Overhaul opponents to rally outside Knesset as MKs vote on ‘reasonableness’ bill

Illustrative: Israelis protest outside the Knesset against the government's planned judicial overhaul, in Jerusalem, March 27, 2023. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

Anti-judicial overhaul protesters will stage a demonstration outside of the Knesset starting at 6:30 p.m. this evening, according to the Protecting our Shared Home group.

The protest is timed to a Knesset discussion on a bill to outlaw judicial review over decisions made by the government, ministers and other elected officials.

Departing envoy: US working to prevent Israel from ‘going off the rails’ with overhaul

United States Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides speaks at the Herzliya Conference on May 22, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Ahead of his upcoming departure from the post, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides says the Biden administration is working to prevent Israel from “going off the rails” as a result of the government’s judicial overhaul push.

“I think most Israelis want the United States to be in their business,” Nides tells the Wall Street Journal. “With that sometimes comes a modicum of a price, which is articulating when we think things are going off the rails.”

Nides adds that he’s told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to tap the brakes, slow down” in order to build consensus for the measures, warning against “rushing things through that ultimately could have huge implications, at least perception-wise, about what makes Israel great.”

Knesset closes viewing gallery to prevent potential protest during ‘reasonableness’ bill vote

Ahead of this evening’s plenum reading on the “reasonableness” bill, the Knesset closes the public viewing gallery to prevent any potential protests during the vote.

Palestinian group claims to fire rockets from Jenin at settlement

A screenshot from a video published on July 10, 2023, shows a rocket that a Palestinian group calling itself the Al-Ayyash Batallion claimed to have fired from Jenin and the northern West Bank settlement of Shaked. (Twitter. Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A Palestinian group calling itself the Al-Ayyash Battalion claims to have launched two rockets from the Jenin area in the northern West Bank toward the settlement of Shaked.

A video published by the group on Telegram shows a projectile in a launcher but does not show it being launched.

The group has claimed to have launched several rockets at settlements and towns in northern Israel in recent months.

The attempts have largely failed, although security forces found remains of a rocket in the northern town of Ram-On last night.

The military is investigating the latest claim.

A group calling itself the Al-Ayyash Battalion claims to have launched two rockets toward the West Bank settlement of Shaked. A video published by the group does not show the launches. pic.twitter.com/X2CqAdf9qw

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 10, 2023

Ben Gvir hits back at Biden: ‘We won’t compromise on a single hill or outpost’

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir chairs a faction meeting of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party at the Knesset on June 26, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hits back US President Joe Biden, who said yesterday that the Israeli government has some “of the most extreme members” he’s ever seen and slammed ministers who back expansionist settlement policies as “part of the problem” in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Speaking at a Chabad event, Ben Gvir hails the United States as “our wonderful friend” before addressing Biden.

“The Land of Israel is for the nation of Israel, per the Torah of Israel. We won’t compromise on a single hill or outpost [in the West Bank]. It’s ours,” he says.

Ben Gvir, who heads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, also calls for the government to move ahead with the entire judicial reform and not only the “reasonableness” bill that the Knesset is slated to hold a first vote on later today.

Bank of Israel holds off on interest rate hike for first time in over a year

View of Bank of Israel main offices in Jerusalem, on January 2, 2023. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

The Bank of Israel decides to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.75 percent for the first time in more than a year, after annual inflation in May rose less than forecast and the US Federal Reserve held off on a hike last month.

“Economic activity in Israel is at a high level, and is accompanied by a tight labor market, although there is some moderation in a number of indicators,” the central bank says in a statement today. “With that, in recent months inflation appears to be slowing.”

“Therefore, the Monetary Committee decided to leave the interest rate unchanged, but sees a real possibility of having to raise the interest rate in future decisions, if the inflation environment does not continue to moderate as expected,” the statement reads.

The rate hike pause comes after the central bank steadily raised interest rates from a record low of 0.1% in April 2022 for 10 consecutive times to 4.75% at the end of May in a bid to rein in inflation. The aggressive interest rate increases rapidly raised the monthly costs of mortgage and loan holders.

Despite the monetary tightening steps, inflation is still far above the government’s target range of 1% to 3% in recent months.

In May the consumer price index (CPI), a measure of inflation that tracks the average cost of household goods, increased by 0.2%, below analysts’ expectations of between 0.5% and 0.6%. The May results show annual inflation over the past 12 months at 4.6%, after hovering around 5% for more than six months.

Jews, Muslims come together to commemorate Srebrenica massacre

People attend the Srebrenica Collective Memory Conference, in Potocari, Bosnia, July 10, 2023. (AP/Armin Durgut)

SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Jews and Muslims come together in Bosnia on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, Europe’s only acknowledged genocide since the Holocaust, to talk about ways they can use their shared pain to help rid the world of hate and bigotry.

More than 8,000 Bosniak — mainly Muslim — men and boys were killed in July 1995 in Srebrenica, after Bosnian Serb troops took hold of the eastern town. The carnage has been declared a genocide by two UN courts.

“It is absolutely critical for the future of both the Jewish people and the (Muslim) Bosniak people for us to join forces in remembrance in order to make sure that these type of atrocities not be allowed to occur in the future,” Menachem Rosensaft, the general counsel of the World Jewish Congress, tells The Associated Press.

Founded in 1936, the World Jewish Congress, or WJC, is the leading international organization connecting and protecting Jewish communities globally, in more than 100 countries.

Rosensaft is leading a delegation of Jewish scholars and young diplomats attending a conference co-organized by the WJC and the Srebrenica Memorial Center on preserving the collective memory of genocide victims and confronting Holocaust and genocide denial.

The day-long conference, held in Srebrenica as part of this year’s commemoration ceremonies, serves as a forum for the two communities to talk about living with the pain of being the victims of the ultimate crime of bigotry.

“If we as Jews and as Muslims understand that we are also joined by that pain, we can build on that constructively to also forge the world beyond suffering in which (genocide) becomes unimaginable,” says Rosensaft, who is the son of two Jewish survivors of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen Nazi concentration camps.

Smotrich vows to move ahead with overhaul, says ‘reasonableness’ bill fills ‘vital need’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a Knesset faction meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism party, July 10, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says a bill to curtail judicial review over the “reasonableness” of elected officials’ decisions will fulfill a “vital need,” ahead of its first plenum reading today.

“This is the way to enable an elected government to implement its policy according to the law and to prevent, for example, cases like what happened in the past when the High Court of Justice prevented the deportation of terrorists’ families,” the far-right minister says at the outset of his Religious Zionism party’s Knesset faction meeting.

“Unlike the opposition, which behaves irresponsibly and is caught up with incitement, we in the coalition act responsibly. We will continue to advance, with determination and responsibility, necessary amendments to the judicial system, as we promised the public before the elections and in accordance with the mandate we received from the people,” he says.

An anti-overhaul protester interrupts Smotrich’s remarks, telling the Religious Zionism party head to “choose the people of Israel, land isn’t everything,” before being escorted out.

Smotrich pledges to move ahead with the coalition’s judicial shakeup and dismisses calls by opposition leaders to pause the legislation to enable dialogue.

He also calls for negotiations on judicial reform to be held as part of the legislative process, rather than as separate talks in which the legislation would be paused.

“There is discussion all of the time. I don’t understand this idea of stopping for dialogue. The Knesset is a place for dialogue,” he says. “It’s the most democratic thing in the world.”

Addressing US President Joe Biden’s Sunday criticism that Israel has an extremist government and that continued settlement expansion is a threat to peace, Smotrich — a longtime settlement advocate — says that he “respect[s]” the president, but disagrees on West Bank policy.

The United States “wants two states for two people and we think it’s suicide,” says Smotrich, who also holds a post in the Defense Ministry giving him extensive authority over settlement construction.

He adds that “it’s our right” to build throughout the West Bank.

Lapid: ‘Reasonableness’ bill would let government appoint ‘obedient puppets,’ ‘fire all gatekeepers’

Opposition leader Yair Lapid speaks during a Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset on July 3, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounces the government for what he alleges is an effort to evade the rule of law and appoint “obedient puppets” to positions of authority, ahead of the first Knesset reading on legislation limiting the use of the judicial doctrine of reasonableness.

“This is a government that has lost all restraint. Canceling the judicial test of reasonableness in the format they have submitted to the Knesset says one thing: the law doesn’t apply to them,” alleges Lapid during a faction meeting of his Yesh Atid party.

“They can fire all the gatekeepers, from the attorney general on down, and switch them out with obedient and subservient puppets who won’t interfere with them when they corrupt the country,” he adds.

Lapid claims that the government’s bill to limit the use of reasonableness will hurt Israel’s credit rating and “harm the livelihood of every Israeli citizen, isolate us from the US and more,” adding that “it will tear apart the Jewish people even more.”

He also voices support for the resumption of judicial reform talks.

“It’s still not too late. It’s still possible to stop,” Lapid says.

Gantz: Netanyahu ‘sacrificing’ strategic ties with US for Levin, Smotrich and Ben Gvir

National Unity leader Benny Gantz speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset on July 10, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of harming Israel’s ties with the US and President Joe Biden, following the latter’s comments critical of the Israeli government yesterday.

“I am disturbed that Netanyahu is sacrificing the strategic needs of the State of Israel in order to please [Justice Minister] Yariv Levin, [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotritch and [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir,” says Gantz at a Knesset faction meeting.

Gantz is referencing Biden’s concern over the government’s judicial overhaul legislation demanded by Levin, which is coming for a first Knesset reading this evening, and Smotrich and Ben Gvir’s advocacy of increased settlement expansion in the West Bank.

“This is a betrayal of the security of Israel’s citizens and its strategic goals,” says Gantz, arguing the Biden administration’s concerns in the long term could presage “a threat to Israel’s security supremacy in the region.”

Gantz adds that his party won’t return to negotiations over the government’s judicial overhaul program unless it includes all aspects of the initiative, not only the limitations on the use the judicial tool of reasonableness.

The National Unity leader also says he urged President Isaac Herzog to convene a meeting with him, Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid before the vote on the reasonableness bill to discuss an immediate resumption of negotiations over the judicial overhaul program and a halt to the legislative process.

Liberman alleges ‘organized lynching’ against AG, urges courts to strike down ‘reasonableness’ bill

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset on July 10, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “organized a lynching against the attorney general” as part of a plan to force her to resign of her own accord.

Liberman is referring to a tempestuous cabinet meeting yesterday, during which numerous ministers blasted Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and law enforcement for their handling of anti-government protesters.

The Yisrael Beytenu leader alleges that Netanyahu now intends to fire Baharav-Miara through a government decision, and condemns a slew of other government actions and legislation.

“I therefore call on the High Court of Justice to strike down the government’s bill to eliminate the use of the reasonableness doctrine,” adds Liberman, referring to the controversial bill poised to be approved in its first Knesset reading today.

He also urges fellow opposition party leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz not to resume judicial negotiations with the coalition, saying Netanyahu cannot be trusted to fulfill his promises.

Meeting UNIFIL commander, Lebanese PM demands Israel give up border village

The border fence between Lebanon and Israel, as seen from the Arab village of Ghajar, in northern Israel, January 13, 2023. (Issac Harari/Flash90)

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with the commander of the UN peacekeeping in southern Lebanon, Aroldo Lazaro, as Israel pushes for the Hezbollah terror group to dismantle a tent on the Israeli side of the border.

“[Lazaro] relayed to us the Israeli side’s demand to remove the tent,” Mikati is quoted saying by Lebanon’s National News Agency.

“Our response was that we want them to pull back from the north of Ghajar, which is considered a Lebanese territory,” he added, days after an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon exploded near the northern border village.

Nominees named for Wednesday’s vote on 2nd candidate for judicial selection panel

Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer arrives at the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, on June 14, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Wednesday’s vote to name a second lawmaker to the panel that picks Israel’s judges will take place at 12 p.m. in the Knesset plenum, according to a Knesset spokesperson.

Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer is expected to nab the spot, in line with pledges made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party in December.

This second closed-door ballot follows a tumultuous first round of voting in June, when coalition infighting resulted in one opposition member, Karine Elharrar, being elected to the panel while the second of the two seats allotted to MKs remained vacant.

Opposition parties have said that convening the Judicial Selection Committee is a condition for resuming the frozen judicial reform negotiations, although the National Unity party has softened that stance in recent days.

There are three nominees besides Kroizer: Religious Zionism MK Moshe Solomon and two opposition Yesh Atid party lawmakers, Ron Katz and Idan Roll.

By tradition, one coalition MK and one opposition MK sit on the Judicial Selection Committee.

Kremlin confirms Putin met with mercenary chief days after abortive mutiny

In this handout photo taken from video released by Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, records a video address in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. (Prigozhin Press Service via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine — The Kremlin’s spokesman says Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin days after a short-lived rebellion by the mercenary chief and his private army.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says today that the three-hour meeting took place June 29 and also involved commanders from the military company Prigozhin founded.

Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. Prigozhin has a long-simmering conflict with Russia’s top military brass which on June 24 culminated in an armed mutiny in which he led his fighters into Russia.

Prigozhin ended the mutiny after a deal was brokered for him to be exiled in Belarus.

Peskov says that during the June 29 meeting, Putin offered an “assessment” of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and “of the events of June 24.” The president also “listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat,” the Kremlin spokesman says.

“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” Peskov says.

Likud minister urges resumption of reform talks after ‘reasonableness’ bill vote

Economy Minister Nir Barkat arrives at a government conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on May 7, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Economy Minister Nir Barkat of the ruling Likud party says that after passing the so-called reasonableness bill in its first reading later today, the coalition should return to judicial reform talks being mediated by President Isaac Herzog.

In an interview with the ultra-Orthodox Kikar Hashabat news site, Barkat blames the opposition for the breakdown of the negotiations, claiming the sides were close to agreement.

“It was the opposition who left the room,” he says.

Nevertheless, Barkat says he backs the resumption of talks after the vote on the bill, which would bar courts from exercising judicial review over the reasonableness of government decisions. Opponents of the legislation have called for mass demonstrations tomorrow if the legislation clears the upcoming plenum reading, the first of three it must pass to become law.

“If you asked me, I’d recommend returning to the President’s Residence between the first and the second and third readings to work out a broadly agreed-upon reasonableness clause, as is possible,” he says.