Unchecked, Unbalanced, Unhinged
What happens when "democracy's gatekeepers" attempt a coup?
W.G.H
Parliamentary democracy, so they taught us in school, is the rule of the people through elected representatives. In order to ensure this doesn’t turn into tyranny, we have a separation of branches, legislative, executive, judicial. For decades this ran just fine, until the unthinkable happened.
On 1977, the unthinkable happened. For the first time, the center-left lost the elections.
Initially this felt like an anomaly, a reaction to frustrations with the traditional labor party. Perhaps a middle finger, raised in protest which can be rectified perhaps in the next elections cycle.
But the next time the center-left block won a decisive elections was in 1992. Until then, and since 1996 really, it was either a clear win for center-right, or a forced tie resulting in some kind of a mixed coalition, mostly headed by Likud or one of its off-shoots.
So, with all due respect to democracy, this obviously couldn’t stand. Just because the majority of the Israeli population wants a center-right government, it doesn’t mean they can actually get one, does it?
Under the leadership of then supreme court president, Aharon Barak, and with genius manipulation of the power of the clerks in government offices, the left entrenched in their powerful positions with one goal, to ensure that regardless of the results of any elections, they get to impose their will on the voters, who they consider stupid baboons.
I’ve written about this before, but today I need to address this topic again, in light of the recent supreme court session, dedicated to discussing the AG’s appeal, to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire minister of national security, Itamar Ben Gvir.
Yes, you’re read that correctly. The AG, who’s job is (at least theoretically) to advise and defend the government in any judicial process, is demanding that the supreme court forces the PM to fire a minister.
What are the grounds for this demand?
Well, the accusations against Minister Ben Gvir are that:
He tries to enact his policies and direct the police, to act according with said policies, thus interfering with its independence.
He makes significant appointments in the police, of people who he trusts to enact said policies.
When he was appointed, the supreme court considered his statements that he has changed (he used to be a right wing activist in his youth, and was involved with some altercations with the police), and his actions now indicate that he hasn’t changed after all.
He also said some not so nice things about some people.
Let’s briefly answer those accusations:
So the accusation is that an elected, appointed minister is trying to enact the policies for which we was elected, and appointed in order to enact? Guilty as charged! Yes, dear AG. Perhaps you should’ve paid more attention in school, but that is exactly what is expected of an elected official. Also, the police is not an independent organization. It’s not some rogue militia. It is serving the government as part of the executive branch…
Again, a minister who was elected and appointed to exact change in an organization is not only empowered by law, to appoint senor police officers, he is expected to do so. Guilty as charged!
For now, I will only refer to his current actions, and say that Itamar Ben Gvir, as opposed to the poisonous press, has been nothing but conservative in his behavior. I see no evidence of any violent behavior by the minister, so that’s absolute nonsense. I will refer to the first part of the accusation shortly.
The minister called member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi, a terrorist. He said about some judges that they’re not “with Israel”. Ok… so? First of all, he has the same freedom of speech that any citizen in Israel (including Ahmed Tibi, who frequently says horrible things about Jews), and some judges who make some terrible decisions that put Israelis’ lives in danger. Second, Ahmed Tibi was a personal advisor to Arch-terrorist Yasser Arrafat… I don’t think he was way out of line…
Having said all that, NONE of that matters in a real democracy.
You can like or dislike Itamar Ben Gvir. I couldn’t care less. The simple fact remains that all of the above arguments shouldn’t be made at all. The supreme court should keep it’s politically infested nose out of the executive branch’s business, unless a crime is committed. The AG should do her job, and not serve as the head of the opposition.
Minister Ben Gvir has not broken any law, was not even accused of breaking any law, and since that is the case, the supreme court - had it had ANY decency - should’ve outright rejected the AG’s request to even discuss it.
WE THE PEOPLE, have elected Itamar Ben Gvir, by the power of our democracy. and WE THE PEOPLE, are the only ones who can demand his firing, without a crime committed.
Only the Prime Minister has the prerogative to fire a minister, and no democratic supreme court would’ve entertained this public witch hunt.
Avishai Grinzaig, a reporter for i24 news exposed the AG’s request from then Shin Bet head, Ronen Bar, to gather materials against Minister Ben Gvir. According to his report, the head of Shin Bet found no incriminating materials, and thus directed his underlings to look deeper still…
I wonder. What do you call it, when a country’s secret police, under the country’s AG’s direction is investigating an elected minister? There must be a name for such actions, I just can’t remember it. Let me know if you can think of one.
The results are Irrelevant. The precedence is Key.
It doesn’t matter whether the supreme court decides for or against the demand from the AG. That’s the way the left works. The mere fact this discussion took place, legitimizes these proceedings in the future.
The problem remains that the judiciary branch, and the supreme court at the top is unchecked, unbalanced and based on their behavior at least since the early 90s, completely unhinged.
Was watching the news this morning and the judge I call Harpo was adamant that Ben Gvir needed to go.. yet the young lawyer said but your honor you shouldn't even be involved in this since you have a personal bias against the minister because of what he wrote about you online. Harpo looked like got caught molesting a chicken and blurted out that he has every right.. Harpo and the Harpy need to get gone..
You captured this well