Netanyahu pushes Israel towards constitutional crisis by naming new security chief
Israel
is facing a constitutional crisis after prime minister
Binyamin Netanyahu
appointed a new internal security chief in defiance of the attorney general's instructions.
Attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara has said investigations into ties between Mr Netanyahu's office and
Qatar
put the prime minister in a conflict of interest.
Ms Baharav-Miara said the process of appointing Maj Gen David Zini to lead the Israel Security Agency (ISA) Shin Bet was tainted. She said she had informed Mr Netanyahu earlier this week that he must refrain, for now, from any action concerning the appointment of a new ISA director after the high court of justice ruled that his decision to oust Ronen Bar from the post had been made unlawfully.
Mr Bar, under intense pressure from coalition politicians, announced last month that he would leave his position on June 15th.
READ MORE
The Movement for Quality Government NGO said it would petition the high court against the appointment. Critics of the government accused Mr Netanyahu of removing Mr Bar because he was an independent gatekeeper.
Cabinet ministers praised Mr Netanyahu's decision. Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote that Maj Gen Zini is a 'moral and creative officer who goes on the offensive and takes initiative, and is the right man at the right time to rehabilitate the ISA'.
Minister Shlomo Karhi also welcomed the decision. 'Just like that: the rule of law, not the rule of the bureaucrats. The prime minister is the one who was elected by the people, not the attorney general. It's his prerogative and even his duty to appoint as ISA director someone he thinks is fit to maintain Israel's security at this fateful hour.'
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Maj Gen Zini to announce that he could not accept the appointment until the high court rules on the matter.
National Unity party leader Benny Gantz accused Mr Netanyahu of 'undermining the rule of law once again and leading the country into a constitutional collision at the expense of Israel's security'.
After the appointment was announced, demonstrators lit a bonfire in Tel Aviv in protest at what they called a violation of the high court's ruling not to make an appointment at this juncture.
Hitting back at the criticism, the prime minister's office issued a statement on Friday stressing that the new ISA chief will not interfere in ongoing investigations into the links between Mr Netanyahu's office and Qatar, in what has been dubbed the Qatargate affair.
The investigations by police and the ISA were prompted by allegations of financial ties between Qatar and aides of Mr Netanyahu.
The prime minister's office added that any delay in the appointment would be damaging to national security.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Ishaan Tharoor: Destruction of Gaza has brought Europe to point of no return in dealing with Israel
Continued support for Netanyahu's regime hurts EU's credibility in efforts to end war in Ukraine, French leader says ©Washington Post Today at 21:30 Far from European capitals and the ruins of the Gaza Strip, France's leader still found cause to criticise Israel. Emmanuel Macron opened his speech at a recent Asian security forum in Singapore with a warning about 'double standards' in international politics. European entreaties over the war in Ukraine and the need for global solidarity against Russia's invasion, he said, were hurt by the West's continued support of Israel's campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
Protest planned in Israel at marriage of Netanyahu's son
Opponents of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu are planning to demonstrate outside his son's wedding next week. Monday's wedding of Avner Netanyahu (30), the prime minister's youngest son, and Amit Yardeni (27), a cybersecurity researcher, is taking place at Ronit Farm in the centre of the country, one of Israel's plushest event venues. More than 1,000 guests have been invited, prompting criticism in Israel that such an extravagance – while the war in Gaza continues , soldiers are among those being killed and 55 hostages remain in Hamas captivity – underscores the disconnect between the Netanyahu family and the public at large. Activists are discussing several tactics, such as blocking approach roads to the venue, using air horns, drums and loudspeakers to disrupt the event and photographing guests in a 'name-and-shame' campaign. READ MORE The police plan a big operation to allow the wedding to proceed without disruption. Prominent anti-government activist Ami Dror urged the groom to tone down the wedding, launching a scathing attack on the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu. 'While thousands of reservists got married in wheelchairs, while thousands of families will never get to marry off their children, while the families of the hostages can't sleep at night – you're throwing a ball in the style of Elana Ceaușescu? In the most expensive venue in Israel?' Sources close to the couple say Avner Netanyahu made it clear he doesn't want ministers and members of the Knesset parliament to attend the wedding, reportedly prompting the ire of some leading politicians who consider themselves personal friends of the Netanyahu family. Avner has kept out of the public eye, in sharp contrast to his older brother Yair, who has relocated to Miami but maintains a steady flow of vitriolic social media posts against opponents of his father, the judiciary and the media. Some opponents of the prime minister have warned that the wedding protest may be counterproductive. 'What is clear is that many good people who believe in this protest movement are now deeply conflicted,' wrote Ariela Ringel Hoffman, in the daily Yediot Aharonot newspaper. 'And stunts like this are fuel for the engine that keeps Netanyahu in power – and makes him stronger.'
Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Irish Times
UK sanctions two Israeli ministers as it increases pressure over Gaza
Two Israeli government ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have been sanctioned by the UK because of their comments on Gaza . Mr Ben-Gvir, the security minister, and Mr Smotrich, the finance minister in Binyamin Netanyahu 's coalition government will both face a travel ban and see their assets frozen. The move comes as the UK and other western nations seek to ramp up pressure on Israel's government amid the war in Gaza . Israel's foreign affairs minister Gideon Sa'ar said it was 'outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures'. READ MORE He added: 'I discussed it earlier today with PM Netanyahu and we will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision.' Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir both belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Mr Netanyahu's fragile coalition government. Both have been criticised for their hardline stance on the war in Gaza. Mr Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, while Mr Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza's people to be resettled from the territory. The UK and its allies have increased pressure on Israel in recent months amid aid shortages in Gaza, as well as suggestions it could launch a new large-scale offensive into the territory. Reports suggest only scarce amounts of aid are making their way into the hands of Gazans, amid a new aid initiative backed by the US and Israel, instead of the previous UN-run programme. The slow flow of food and medicines has prompted warnings of famine and starvation among the territory's population. In May, British foreign secretary David Lammy paused negotiations towards a UK trade deal with Israel as the Government sought to pressure Israel to abandon its planned offensive into Gaza. Prime minister Keir Starmer , France's president Emmanuel Macron and Canada's prime minister Mark Carney also wrote a joint statement last month warning that Israel's leaders risked 'breaching International Humanitarian Law', and calling for more aid to be allowed into Gaza. Mr Netanyahu responded by claiming the three leaders were on the 'wrong side' of history. In September last year, the government halted 30 out of around 350 arms sales licences to Israel, for fear they may be used for war crimes. Ministers insist that this means F-35 fighter jets used by Israel no longer receive replacement parts from the UK, and no UK-made bombs or ammunition are used in Gaza. Lord David Cameron has previously said he considered sanctioning both Israeli ministers in his final days as foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak 's Conservative government.
