The attorney general also said there’s a feeling that the Knesset is trying to undermine the law enforcement system. “At times it seems the law enforcement system is standing alone,” he said, pledging to continue with the struggle against corruption.
Archive
Israel, a State Unencumbered by Democracy
In a rare move, the Knesset presidium last week refused Balad’s request to bring the party’s proposal for a Basic Law: Israel as a State of All Its Citizens before the Knesset for discussion and a vote…
One on One: Interview with Haneen Zoabi
(30.4.2018) TRT World’s Shiulie Ghosh talks to Palestinian Knesset member Haneen Zoabi.
Zoabi calls soldiers ‚murderers,‘ is removed from Knesset
“MKs from the Left are actually those who wish to privatize the suffering and disconnect the cause from the effect … The responsibility for the suffering of the women in the Gaza Strip lies solely with Israel. After Israel destroyed the infrastructure and the agriculture in Gaza, it dictates to the people there how and where to eat,” she added in rage.
Zoabi went on with her charge. “You all should be boycotted. The people in Gaza are refugees, their land is in Israel. Those murdered by the soldiers are not being accounted for. Democracy is a nightmare in the Knesset,” she accused.
Knesset disqualifies bill seeking equal status for Jews and Arabs
(5.6.2018) The bill was sponsored by Balad, an Arab political faction and member of the Joint List – an alliance of four predominantly Arab parties – in the parliament.
Haneen Zoabi, a Balad member of the Knesset and one of the bill’s sponsors, told Al Jazeera the proposed legislation aimed to make Israel more democratic – especially in its treatment of Arab citizens.
Public Security, Justice Ministers Snub Meeting of Police Brutality Lobby in Knesset
(4.6.2018) The lobby brings together groups from the whole political spectrum, from minority communities such as the Arabs and Ethiopians, the ultra-Orthodox, LGBTQs, settlers, the disabled, representatives of people slated for eviction from the Tel Aviv neighborhood Givat Amal, and more.
At the meeting on Monday, protesters, their families and representatives of social organizations testified on cases in which police officers allegedly used excessive force.
Israeli Defense Chief Accuses Center-left, ultra-Orthodox Parties of Thwarting ‚Terrorist‘ Lawmaker’s Removal From Knesset
(4.6.2018) Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the reason lawmaker Haneen Zoabi (Joint List) is still sitting in the Knesset is because members of the center-left and ultra-Orthodox parties refuse to support her dismissal.
Lieberman said he „cannot understand why (Deputy Health Minister) Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism), (opposition head) Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union), and Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid), are supporting this terrorist.“ Lieberman also snapped at Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg, saying: „nobody expects anything else from you.“
The Justices ‚Wisely Chose Not to Intervene‘ in Israel’s Legislation
(30.5.2018) The law itself is bad, undemocratic and non-egalitarian. It theoretically makes it possible for an elected lawmaker to be removed on the basis of his political rivals’ interpretation of the terms “racism” and “support for terrorism.” What exactly is racism and what exactly is support for terrorism? When Culture Minister Miri Regev says that the African asylum seekers are a cancer in the nation’s body, is that racism or a medical diagnosis? Does a call for Nakba Day demonstrations or the mere use of the term “Nakba” qualify as incitement to terrorism? Until now, these were matters for the High Court to determine. But from now on, the Knesset will decide who is a racist and who is a terrorist.
Israeli Defense Chief Accuses Center-left, ultra-Orthodox Parties of Thwarting ‚Terrorist‘ Lawmaker’s Removal From Knesset
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the reason lawmaker Haneen Zoabi (Joint List) is still sitting in the Knesset is because members of the center-left and ultra-Orthodox parties refuse to support her dismissal.
Lieberman said he „cannot understand why (Deputy Health Minister) Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism), (opposition head) Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union), and Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid), are supporting this terrorist.“ Lieberman also snapped at Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg, saying: „nobody expects anything else from you.“
‚Ban Joint List from running in next election‘
(24.5.2018) National Union Party Secretary-General Ophir Sofer sent a letter to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit Thursday stating that ere is a strong suspicion of terrorist activity by MKs from the Joint Arab List faction.
The letter was sent following the participation of MKs Ayman Odeh, Aida Touma Suleiman and Yousef Jabareen in the violent riots in Haifa last weekend.
Every Day That Lieberman Is Defense Minister
“Every day that Ayman Odeh is not in prison is a failure of law enforcement,” Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said of the chairman of the Joint List, the third largest bloc in the Knesset. Interior Minister Gilad Erdan — who lost no haste in pronouncing Yakub Abu al-Kian, who was shot dead by police in Umm al-Hiran, a terrorist — quickly joined in. He announced that he would ask the attorney general to launch a criminal investigation against Odeh, who cursed out a police officer at the hospital where Jafar Farah, the director of Mossawa Center, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel, was being treated while under arrest in connection to a protest in Haifa.
Unbelievable. Israel’s Defense Minister incited against Palestinian Knesset member Ayman Odeh & joint list members for criticizing the police, calling them „terrorists“ who belong in jail not Knesset & threatening it is time for them „to pay the price“ (whatever that means)
Israeli Committee Approves Bill Allowing Knesset To Override Supreme Court
The Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation by a vote of 11 to 1 on Sunday approved the bill, known as the override power bill, an amendment to Israel’s Basic Law, which would allow the legislative body to reenact laws that have previously been struck down by the Supreme Court by a simple majority of the 120-member Knesset.
The Knesset could begin voting on the legislation as early as Wednesday.
Israels Regierung will Befugnisse des Obersten Gerichts beschneiden
(6.5.2018) Künftig soll das Parlament Gesetze, die das Gericht als verfassungsfeindlich ausgesetzt hat, erneut verabschieden können, hieß es am Sonntag in einer Mitteilung des Justizministeriums.
Under Cover of Iran, Netanyahu Just Took Three New Steps Toward Fascism
As the prime minister spoke, however, as a war-anxious nation and an attentive, approving White House hung on his every word, a little over 30 miles up the road, in Jerusalem, a mortal threat to Israel was being assembled under our very noses. In the Knesset, no less. A set of three time bombs, complex, deadly, radioactive.
Each of them a step toward annihilating Israel as we have come to know it. Each of them a step toward dictatorial rule, toward fascism. Each of them approved by – spurred by – Netanyahu himself.
Israel’s Netanyahu Can Now Declare War on Iran With Single Vote
Following a 20-minute presentation in which Netanyahu accused Iran of covertly pursuing nuclear weapons, reports emerged that the Israeli Knesset approved 62 to 41 the amendment to Israeli law regarding the authorization for the declaration of war. The new regime included a clause suggested by Netanyahu himself, one that requires only Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s approval to initiate a war „in extreme situations,“ according to the state-run Kann News and Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Supreme Court president pleads with Netanyahu not to endanger democracy
The Israeli public believes if the Supreme Court is denied the capacity to strike down laws enacted by the Knesset, there will be no checks on the government and it will have unlimited power.
Not One Israeli Opposition Member Stood in Solidarity
(24.1.2018) The only ones who faithfully represented opponents of the occupation, seekers of peace and lovers of Israeli democracy on Tuesday were the members of the Joint List. All the other opposition members, by their spontaneous apathy, proved that their leader is none other than Netanyahu, and that they deserve their marginal role in the nationalist puppet theater that the prime minister manages.
Arab MKs protest and removed by force from Knesset moments into Pence speech
(22.1.2018)
Lapid wants controversial Arab MK booted from the Knesset
(22.4.2018) Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid announced on Sunday that his faction will support legislation enabling the Knesset to oust controversial Arab-Israel lawmaker Hanin Zoabi from office.
Lapid said that he decided that Zoabi needed to be booted from the Knesset after she said two weeks ago that ‚millions of Palestinians‘ should march on Jerusalem following the violent riots in Gaza.