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To the editor:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent moves to change his nation’s judicial system are very troubling. The Knesset passed a bill shielding Netanyahu from removal. Under the new law, only the prime minister himself or two-thirds of his cabinet, ratified by a super majority in Parliament, can declare the prime minister unfit.
However, Netanyahu isn’t stopping there. He also intends to propose a bill that would empower him to appoint judges and limit Israel’s Supreme Court power to strike down laws; thereby, tilting the balance of power toward the prime minister. These clearly anti-democratic measures have led to widespread protests and mass resignations in the country’s military.
Some 200 elite reservist Air Force pilots have given notice that they are suspending their service because they no longer feel they are serving a democratic government and many more have signaled they also intend to withdraw their service. This led Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to announce he believes the “reforms” should be halted due the damage within military ranks.
It is time for the U.S. to publicly weigh-in. We can no longer support a nation that is clearly sliding toward autocracy. I believe all, or nearly all, Americans support the Jewish people; that doesn’t mean we support Netanyahu. He has crossed a serious line. Even Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara called Netanyahu’s judicial moves “illegal” and “a conflict of interest.”
President Joe Biden has taken the first step by stressing his dissatisfaction with these developments in a private call with Netanyahu. More needs to be done. I suggest Congress issue a denunciation of the “reform” plan and back it up by withholding foreign aid until the measures already taken are overturned and Netanyahu pledges to shelve the remaining “reforms” indefinitely. Additionally, we need to make it clear that we no longer rubber stamp a veto on Israel’s behalf at the U.N. Security Council.
Of course, the U.S. doesn’t dictate internal Israeli matters. However, we don’t have to fund or blindly support them either.
Joseph Cannisi
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