Israel’s judicial overhaul sparks military crisis as number of refusing reservists grows
As Israel plunges deeper into crisis after the country’s parliament passed the first bill of a controversial judicial overhaul, thousands of Israeli army reservists – the backbone of the Israeli military – are threatening not to show up for work. And Israel’s leaders are sounding alarms about the country’s readiness for war.
The law that came into effect on Wednesday took away the court’s power to veto government decisions based on them being “unreasonable.” Millions opposed the change, according to opinion polls, which critics said would erode the independence of the courts and harm Israel’s democracy.
“At the current point in time, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is competent,” IDF Chief Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters on Tuesday, but he acknowledged that the country’s military readiness could be affected.
“If reservists do not show up for a long time, there will be damage to the army’s competence. It is a gradual process that will be affected according to the presence of the reservists,” he said.
The threat is unprecedented in its scope, experts say, and the military has pleaded with reservists to remain in their posts.
It is important to recognise that many ordinary Israelis are disgusted and shocked by how far right Netanyahu’s fascist zionist regime has twisted Israeli democracy in its latest tortured history.
The ‘Judicial Overhaul’ is aimed at allowing settlers to steal and take more Palestinian land for Israel’s radical zionist factions, meaning Israel’s existing apartheid styled ‘democracy’ (which has always allowed policies that are racially biased against Palestinians on occupied land), will become far more vicious and autocratic.
It is a sad day for the State of Israel and it’s a terrible day for Palestinians.
There is no hope now Israel has mutated into a full paramilitary state from the semi-paramilitary state they birthed as.
Once this power is in place, Israeli extremists will lift their targeting of Palestinians on occupied land and continue illegal violent settlements at pace.
I supported the BDS movement against Israel, but looking at the hateful autocratic state they have mutated into, I wonder if culturally cutting them off from the rest of the civilised world allowed them to become worse with zero restraint?
I see no hope for the future of Israel now they have made the full step to being an Autocratic Paramilitary Police State…
‘A dark day for Israeli democracy’: US Jewish groups denounce Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul
Jewish groups in the US have condemned the Israeli parliament’s vote to limit the power of the judiciary as a threat to democracy and warned that it could damage relations with American Jews. But the White House limited its criticism to calling the outcome “unfortunate” in a sign the Biden administration is unlikely to impose any real costs on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for defying the president’s calls to delay the vote and reach a compromise with his opponents.
After seven months of fierce debate, the Israeli government on Monday voted to limit the court’s ability to overturn laws. The changes have been denounced by critics as a transparent power grab that will erode democratic norms and aid Netanyahu’s fight against graft charges, which he denies.
…this will end terribly.
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