Unknown to the general public until a few weeks ago, the Kohelet Policy Forum is under fire from criticism from the Israeli left.
In question, the colossal influence of this ultra-liberal and ultra-conservative think tank on the judicial reform project of the Netanyahu government, accused by its detractors of undermining Israeli democracy.
According to the daily Haaretz, the Jerusalem-based think tank simply provided turnkey reform to Justice Minister Yariv Levin.
This notably provides for the introduction of a "derogation" clause allowing Parliament to annul certain decisions of the Supreme Court.
"The Supreme Court wrote its own rules and grabbed power without permission and without any democratic legitimacy," write two legal experts defending the bill in an article published on the Kohelet Policy Forum website and entitled "Why the judicial reform is essential".
To ensure the disproportionate nature of the prerogatives of the judiciary in Israel, the text affirms that the possibility of a veto by judges on certain political decisions is "unique in the world".
But this argument omits an essential detail: Israel has no Constitution.
The Supreme Court therefore plays the role of a Constitutional Court, making it difficult to compare with the supreme courts in other countries.
>> To read on France 24.com: Reform of justice in Israel, "if Netanyahu persists, the movement could become radicalized"
For its detractors, this reform touted by the far-right coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu as a simple rebalancing of powers is in fact a threat to the foundations of Israeli democracy as well as to public freedoms.
"Eminences
es
grises"
Established a decade ago by American-born computer scientist Moshe Koppel, the Kohelet Policy Forum has filled a void in Israel by becoming the first conservative think tank dedicated to the country's domestic politics. .
“It is a think tank favorable to the maintenance of the Israeli presence in the West Bank which combines a very conservative and nationalist ideology with total neoliberalism”, details political scientist Denis Charbit, professor at the Open University of Israel.
This think tank is said to have already strongly inspired several controversial pieces of legislation, in particular a 2018 Basic Law proclaiming Israel as the "national home of the Jewish people".
A text of quasi-constitutional value which, according to its opponents, stigmatizes the Arab minority which represents 20% of the population.
>> To read also: who are the Israeli Arabs, these Palestinians of Israel?
Among the feats of arms of the Kohelet Policy Forum mentioned by the Israeli press is also the writing in 2019 of a legal argument intended for Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State of Donald Trump, to justify the establishment of Israeli colonies in the West Bank. .
Made up of a hundred researchers, the think tank would have succeeded in weaving a vast network of influence at the highest level.
"It's been about five or six years since it established privileged relations with political leaders. However, it has always maintained a certain discretion, preferring to work in the shadows with the deputies, its members acting as eminences grises", explains Denis Charbit.
Conservative Nebula
This network of influence was built in particular thanks to the tens of millions of dollars paid by two generous donors whose names were revealed in 2021 by Haaretz: Arthur Dantchik and Jeffrey Yass, Jewish American multi-billionaires who own Susquehanna International Group,
one
of of the most prominent trading companies in the United States.
In 2022, Jeffrey Yass was ranked 37th in the Bloomberg ranking of the richest people in the world, with an estate valued at 34 billion dollars, compared to 7.5 billion for Arthur Dantchik.
These former relatives of Donald Trump are considered figures of the libertarian movement which opposes taxes and demands minimal state intervention to promote individual freedom and entrepreneurial freedom.
The Kohelt Policy Forum also maintains close ties with the Tikvah Fund, an American Jewish neoconservative association whose president, Amiad Cohen, met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the end of January.
“Building a conservative community is hard work,” the populist leader said on the occasion.
"But Hungary and Israel have already achieved excellent results."
>> To read also: Bills in Israel, what Benjamin Netanyahu gives in to extremes
Despite strong opposition from the left and much of public opinion, judicial reform is on track in Israel.
Two bills reducing the prerogatives of the Supreme Court were adopted on Tuesday at first reading by Parliament, including the introduction of the "derogation clause" as well as the modification of the process for appointing judges.
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