Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 9/20 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 1.-15. Mai Die Themen dieser Ausgabe 1. Neue Regierung vereidigt ............................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Pompeo bekräftigt US-Friedensplan.............................................................................................................................. 3 3. Ende der Corona-Sperre ................................................................................................................................................. 5 4. Medienquerschnitt ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. Neue Regierung vereidigt Chef lange verweigert. Dass er letztendlich doch Israel hat eine neue Regierung. Ministerpräsident einem Zusammengehen zustimmte, begründete Benjamin Netanyahu vom konservativen Likud und Gantz vor allem mit der Corona-Krise. Man werde Benny Gantz, Chef der Mitte-Partei Blau-Weiß, sich jetzt dem Kampf gegen das Virus widmen und einigten sich darauf, das höchste politische Amt zu sich um die Menschen in Israel kümmern, versprach teilen. Netanyahu soll in den ersten 18 Monaten er. Auch der Vorstand der Arbeitspartei hatte sich – Chef der Regierung sein, und am 17. November trotz heftigem Widerstand von Knessetabgeordne- 2021 das Amt an Gantz abgeben. Teil der neuen ten Merav Michaeli – für eine Regierungsbeteiligung Koalition sind auch die zwei ultra-orthodoxen Partei- entschieden en, die Arbeitspartei, die aus zwei Abgeordneten bestehende Derech Eretz und Gesher-Vorsitzende A time to judge Orly Levi-Abekasis. Das Oberste Gericht in Jerusa- By joining with Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz lem hatte Petitionen gegen eine weitere Amtszeit made the impossible possible: A man who has been Netanyahus sowie die Koalitionsvereinbarung zu- charged with serious crimes will form the next gov- rückgewiesen. Die Richter entschieden, dass es ernment and serve at its head, unless the High trotz der Korruptionsanklagen gegen Netanyahu Court of Justice intervenes. (…) the prime minister "keinen juristischen Grund" gebe, ihm das Mandat himself spreads blood libels and advocates for a zur Regierungsbildung zu verweigern. Nach israeli- coup by judicial means (…) he appoints a justice schem Recht muss ein Ministerpräsident erst nach minister who incites a civil revolt against the legal einer rechtskräftigen Verurteilung zurücktreten. Ein establishment or a public security minister who Minister muss sein Amt dagegen bereits abgeben, abandons the police force and the investigative wenn Anklage erhoben wird. Wenn das Gericht agencies to the prime minister’s attacks. Netanyahu gegen eine weitere Amtszeit des 70-Jährigen ent- is reaping the fruits of his incitement against the schieden hätte, hätten die Israelis vermutlich zum judiciary, the police commissioner, the state prose- vierten Mal seit April 2019 wählen müssen. Die cutor, the attorney general and everyone who dared Koalitionsvereinbarung von Likud und Blau-Weiß sei to investigate and to prosecute him. This is a dan- juristisch problematisch, hieß es in dem einstimmi- gerous turnabout. Instead of the accused defending gen Urteil. Dennoch gebe es gegenwärtig keinen himself in a court of law, the court is asked to defend Grund für das Gericht, sich einzumischen. Gantz itself in the public arena against attacks from the hatte den nun geschlossenen Pakt mit Netanyahu defendant, who uses the power, status, resources wegen der Korruptionsvorwürfe gegen den Likud- and stage afforded to him by his office. The attempt 1 to portray a High Court ruling as wrongful interfer- Netanyahu-Gantz deal isn't the end of democra- ence with the will of voters is dangerous demagogu- cy, and the court is stronger than ever ery. Israelis don’t vote for a prime minister, they vote (…) The High Court is (…) threatened by senior for a party. The voters’ will is expressed in the com- Likud figures, and this is nauseating. (…) The court position of the Knesset, not the identity of the prime is not supposed to interfere in political agreements. minister. (…) A government formed solely by steal- (…) The High Court presumably will not disqualify ing votes and deceiving voters is a distortion of the Netanyahu, but not because it’s weak. The legal will of the voters. Regrettably, even the attorney basis for disqualification simply doesn’t exist, espe- general, in his brief, sanctioned this abomination. cially when he has the support of 61 of the Knes- The separation of powers is intended to create a set’s 120 members and when the law says explicitly system of checks and balances among the three that a prime minister can serve under indictment. main branches of government, so that none of them (…) The coalition agreement contains myriad repul- becomes supreme. The role of the judiciary is to sive provisions, but it isn’t “the end of democracy” interpret laws and to judge. Thus, not only does the and doesn’t turn us into Turkey, or even Hungary. It court have the legal authority to rule on whether a is definitely repulsive to amend Basic Laws like this, Knesset member who has been charged with seri- in a hasty, destructive manner. There’s nothing terri- ous offenses may form the government is not only ble about giving politicians – in the future as well – under the court’s purview, it has an ethical obligation the option of forming a rotation government. But it’s to do so. an atrocity that they’ve decided not to make any Editorial, HAA, 03.05.20 senior appointments during a six-month emergency period, following 18 months in which there were no Respect the court such appointments due to repeated elections. This (…) a sitting prime minister can remain in office all provision, which stems from the infinite paranoia of the way until a final verdict (…) is handed down in Netanyahu and his family, apparently won’t be hon- his or her case. (…) The reason the law allows a ored in any case. (…) Netanyahu isn’t gaining any prime minister to remain in office until the end of the control over the legal system (….). The Judicial trial is because the resignation of a prime minister Appointments Committee will operate in exactly the leads to the collapse of the entire government and same format that it always has, chaired by a minister effectively means new elections. A minister leaving a from Kahol Lavan, with no restrictions on its activi- ministry does not. (…) the court knows that if it rules ties. (…) The betrayal felt by people who voted for that Netanyahu cannot form a coalition, he is unlike- Gantz and Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz are ly to accept the ruling. This would lead to an un- understandable. Thanks to their votes, Netanyahu precedented constitutional crisis in Israel that would will remain in power even during his criminal trial. not only undermine the rule of law but could lead to Absurdly, however, these justified feelings are being a dangerous divide in the country, the outcome of translated into apocalyptic forecasts about the coali- which is unknown. (…) If it allows Netanyahu to form tion agreement, though the vast majority of its provi- a coalition, it will pretty much be giving alleged polit- sions are meant to protect Gantz. Netanyahu would ical corruption a stamp of approval. What kind of cheerfully abandon most of the agreement tomorrow message does this send other politicians or regular morning. folks in Israel who see that even when facing severe Raviv Drucker, HAA, 05.05.20 allegations, there are some people above the law. On the other hand, doing so would further under- High Court was right to let Netanyahu serve as mine the court’s standing in the eyes of a public that PM is already wary of what has appeared to be the The unanimous decision by the High Court (…) to court’s gross intervention into matters that many – reject the petitions against Benjamin Netanyahu particularly in the right-wing camp - have argued it serving as prime minister and to approve the coali- should not. (…) These are precarious times for Isra- tion agreement was not only the right move from a el. Whether you support Netanyahu or not, Israel legal perspective, it was also right for the public. (…) needs to retain its democratic institutions and en- we returned to the shores of restraint. It was not a sure that the rule of law survives no matter who cowardly decision, it was not the result of the threats leads the country. hurled at the court by Netanyahu and the rest of the Editorial, JPO, 03.05.20 Likud. (…) Too often did public discourse leak from politics into the judiciary and too often did judges' 2 rulings seems like public relations copy. (…) There The new Israeli government of the walking dead is no arguing that there is something fundamentally A unity government that includes a painful compro- wrong with allowing a man to form and lead a gov- mise – legitimizing Benjamin Netanyahu as premier ernment while the sword of three indictments hangs – was the only option, given the situation that had over his head. It is beneath the Knesset, the gov- developed. But it was implemented in such a crook- ernment and the nation. But a debate took place in ed, foul way that not only is it very hard to defend, the Knesset and it wasn’t Netanyahu’s acolytes who it’s very hard to see anything good in it at all. The believed parliament - and not the courts - should coalition agreement is nothing but an insurance deliver the final verdict on the matter. (…) It does not policy for both sides. It includes a wealth of contor- matter what the judges personally think of an indict- tions and distortions of a kind redolent of a lack of ed candidate, it is important that they respect the integrity and basic trust. The most important minis- rule of law and court. Yet the story is far from over. tries in dealing with the coronavirus – the supposed The coalition agreement between Likud and Blue & purpose for which this government was established White has passed the test of the High Court, but – haven’t been given to people capable of rebuilding only “for the time being”.