Will Netanyahu back down from passing the judicial amendment in the face of internal and external pressure?

Dr. Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the Clinton Institute at the University of Dublin, said Western leaders cannot remain silent in the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government's attempts to control Israel's judiciary by passing their judicial amendments and the Knesset law.

Speaking to the program "Beyond the News" (2023/3/24), he explained that internal and external developments regarding the Israeli crisis prompted countries to take positions towards Netanyahu, including Washington's summoning of the Israeli ambassador and conveying its reservation to ignore the street movement in Israel to him.

This comes against the backdrop of the widening circle of disobedience to military orders within the Israeli army in rejection of Netanyahu's insistence on passing the judicial amendment and the Knesset law, which coincides with external pressures that led, on the impact of demonstrations opposing the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister to London, to cancel the joint statement of the prime ministers of the two countries.

Lucas considered attempts to minimize the impact of internal and external interactions as attempts to escape the crisis, referring in this context to the expression of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – during a joint press conference with Netanyahu – his concern about the situation in Israel, and the cancellation of the joint statement in London.

He stressed that it is not possible for these countries to intervene to stop Netanyahu from his attempt to "overthrow democracy," but they will support by all means the peaceful movement in the Israeli street in order to succeed in achieving his goal, nor will they give Netanyahu a "safe haven" by dealing with him as a prime minister who takes decisions in the interest of his Israeli people.

Passing the coup

Dr. Salim Brik, a professor of political science at the Open University in Haifa and an expert on Israeli affairs, believes that Netanyahu is uncomfortable with these developments, and that they clearly affect his position, but what shows so far is his insistence on "passing the coup" that he seeks by passing the Knesset law and judicial amendment.

He added in this context that the democratic world, of which Israel sees itself as a part, clearly rejects Netanyahu's efforts, and this is shown by the positions of the countries he recently visits, as he "received a lesson from Germany," as it was clear that he was undesirable in France, in addition to what happened in Britain, and Washington's summoning of the Israeli ambassador.

He considered this evidence that "the West has begun to understand that there is an attempt to overthrow the regime in Israel, and that there is a corrupt ruler all that means saving his person from trial," pointing out that the West's policy will not change towards Israel as a state, but it is possible to take positions towards Netanyahu and his government, in support of the street in Israel.

Slim stressed that Netanyahu is facing a real crisis at home from which he is trying to escape through his visits, but as part of his efforts to extricate himself from prison and trial, he remains adamant about his position.

He pointed out that Netanyahu also has a problem with world Jewry as an extension of his crisis at home, because the fundamentalist movements in Israel, which are partners in the government, do not see world Jewry as real Jews, which explains part of his crisis in the countries he visits.

Israeli researcher and analyst Golan Barhoum believes that Netanyahu has a clear majority in parliament through which he can pass whatever he wants regardless of disobedience, but what could hinder this is the presence of right-wing MPs who may not want the full reform of the judiciary but only approve some amendments.

He saw – in his speech to "Beyond the News" – that the expansion of the circle of rejection of military orders for an elected government is dangerous and an unprecedented phenomenon that Israel has not witnessed at any previous stage and will have an impact on the scene, reducing at the same time the impact of external pressures that he sees as natural and repeated.