The Kohelet Policy Forum, funded by American libertarians, is the subject of strong criticisms for having inspired the project very strongly limiting the powers of the Supreme Court that the Netanyahu government intends to apply.
by Louis Imbert (Jerusalem, correspondent)
A few weeks ago, most of the Israelis were unaware of the existence of the Kohelet Policy Forum. This liberal reflection circle is now at the heart of the public debate. He is strongly criticized for helping to inspire the overhaul of the Supreme Court wanted by the government of Benyamin Netanyahu.
His main legal expert, Aviad Bakshi, advised the Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, who led this reform and who praised his contribution. A former forum expert, Shimon Nataf, also advises the Chairman of the Committee for the Constitution, Law and Justice to Parliament, Simcha Rothman, author of two first texts that Knesset was to start examining on Monday, February 20. The arguments of the forum irrigate the conservative press, the editorials of Amit Segal on the Hadashot 12 channel, those of the daily right of right Israel Hayom.
Monday, a new demonstration was planned in Jerusalem by opponents of the reform, who built one of the largest dispute movements in the history of the country. They denounce a destruction of the Supreme Court. A “regime change”, which would allow a simple majority of 61 out of 120 deputies to adopt any law, without legal supervision.
“Coalition parliamentarians show no dissension. But polarization is so great, because of hatred against Netanyahu and its government, that the reform risks breaking Israeli society,” said political scientist Avraham Diskin, rare Researcher from the left affiliated with the Kohelet Policy Forum and supporter of the reform.
a counter-revolution
Faced with this pressure, the deputy director of Kohelet, Ran Bar-Yoshafat, says “on the teeth”. “Two days ago,” he testifies, “two spectators called me as a fascist after a public debate. They said that I hate homosexuals and women. Nothing is less true: I am a liberal. I defend everyone’s freedom. “Mr. Bar-Yoshafat deplores that a first bill arrives so quickly in the hemicycle. He would like the government to take the time to explain it, to soothe minds. He also minimizes the role of his think tank in this procedure: “Politicians consult us, but we do not make decisions.”
Basically, Mr. Bar-Yoshafat would however change anything. He hopes that the political majority in place will have the means to appoint the judges of the Supreme Court and the government’s legal advisers. He wishes to limit the means of seizure of the Court by citizens and that a simple majority of parliamentarians can overcome his objections to their laws. It is a counter-revolution that he finally saw happening. A response to the “judicial revolution” launched in 1995 by the former president of the court, Aharon Barak, who systematized the power of supervision of the judges.
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