From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 1, 2024
Sa’ar accuses government of neglecting crucial issues, focusing on political maneuvers
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
New Hope party chairman Gideon Sa’ar slams the government’s handling of the war and other security and political issues, following the controversial release of detained Shifa Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya.
“Nine months at war and there are no solutions,” he tells reporters ahead of his right-wing opposition party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, asserting that Palestinian security prisoners are going free and arrest operations are not being carried out because of a lack of prison capacity.
Legislation to fully cover the costs of an academic degree for IDF reservists serving amid the war was passed into law half a year ago and was scheduled to go into effect today, but “spoiler, it didn’t happen,” he continues, claiming that the government has shown itself unable to run the country effectively.
“On what did they agree? Changing the name of the Agriculture Ministry,” he complains, referring to yesterday’s cabinet decision to change the name of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry to the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry — a move that could cost up to NIS 2 million ($530,000) in taxpayer money according to the Movement for Quality Government, a watchdog group.
Sa’ar further lambasts the government for “politicizing” the role of ombudsman for judges by backing a law under which lawmakers would vote on candidates for the position. This would force judges to campaign in the Knesset, undermining judicial independence, he says.
Turning to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation’s decision to back a bill forbidding the use of administrative detention or administrative restraining orders against Israeli citizens, Sa’ar says that if passed, the legislation would undermine the legitimacy of the settlement movement and only serve extremists while damaging the state.
