“Not every
regime succumbs to Corona, but Israel’s is in the high-risk group”
A dramatic day, including a black flag car convoy to the the
Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem battling with police and a Supreme
Court hearing regarding new big brother electronic policing… in the
background - closing of the courts, inexplicable extension of
Netanyahu’s criminal arraignment hearing, refusal to permit the
newly Knesset to convene – all part of interim PM Netanyahu’s
refusal to cease power following his loss in the early March
election.
Tel-Aviv, March 19 – this week the Israeli regime has experienced
an unprecedented crisis. Late on Saturday night, interim Justice
Minister Amir Ohana (Netanyahu’s Likud party) announced almost
total closure of the courts. The unlawful purported Corona emergency
regulation was to be in effect only for 24 hours. However, the
Jerusalem District Court judges, of their own initiative, immediately
followed by rendering a decision, extending by two months Netanyahu’s
arraignment hearing on charges of bribes, deceit, and breach of
trust, which was scheduled for Tuesday, following long delays.
In parallel, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, a follower of the Ger
Hasidic dynasty (United Torah Judaism party) and Netanyahu’s
faithful partner, tried to prevent the newly elected Knesset
(parliament) from convening under unlawful emergency Corona health
regulations. When that failed, Knesset Chairman Yuli Edelstein (Likud
party) prevented convening of the Knesset, under his authority to set
the agenda. The newly elected narrow majority demanded that the
agenda for the first Knesset seating include election of a new Chair
and election of new permanent committees, as required by the Base Law
(a quasi-constitution). Additionally, the new majority demanded the
passage of laws that prohibit a defendant in a criminal matter from
being appointed prime minister and limit the prime minster to two
terms in office. Combined, such measures could mean that Netanyahu
and his supporters lose their power, and no matter what, Netanyahu
would have no possible effective protection against his pending
criminal prosecution.
The March 02, 2020 election was the third within a year. In all
three elections Netanyahu failed to win a majority to secure his
ongoing tenure as prime minister. However, during these three
election cycles Netanyahu has remained in office as interim prime
minister.
On Monday, Netanyahu issued emergency regulations, permitting
electronic policing of the entire public by the Shin-Bet and the
Israel Police under the guise of fighting the epidemic… [i]
Israel is known for its electronic surveillance capabilities, second
to none, routinely abused to suppress the Palestinians. [ii]
Cyber espionage, related to Netanyahu, has also been suspected during
the recent election cycles… [iii]
Now, the same capabilities were to be openly applied on the public at
large. The new regulations required Knesset approval. However, given
the failure of the Knesset to convene, Netanyahu’s government
issued such regulations, unapproved, under the pretext of Corona
emergency. Netanyahu’s government refused to disclose the new “Top
Secret” classified Shin-Bet policing regulations even to interim
Chair of the Knesset’s Foreign and Security Affairs Committee,
retired IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi (Blue and White party) -
now one of the opposition’s leaders.
“For the First Time Ever, Israeli Democracy Has Been Shut Down”,
ran a title in Haaretz daily. [iv]
On such background, this morning a convoy, numbering hundreds of
cars, flying black flags, got on its way from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem
to protest against Knesset Chairman Edelstein’s refusal to convene
the newly elected Knesset. The Israel Police tried to stop the
convoy’s arrival in Jerusalem in clear disregard of the law.
Regardless, the convoy managed to arrive at the Knesset. In the
following clashes with police, 9 protesters were detained.
Figure1. Protest activist, former Shin-Bet agent Gonen Ben-Itzhak:
Hundreds
of cars, flying black flags, on their way to protest in Jerusalem,
are held by police on the highway.
Democracy!
We shall not let Netanyahu lock down the Knesset!
Share now!
#Black_Flag
resistance
has been launched!
The
Knesset was wiped out, the courts are locked, protesters are
detained. There are moments in the life of a
nation, when citizens’ action pave the way for the leadership. We
are in such a moment. First step in a long struggle. We the citizens
are not to be trampled. We shall fight and we shall win. Take a part
in the struggle. Hang
a black flag on your balcony or your window. Yes, now!
---
Figure4. Senior opposition leader, former IDF Chief of Staff Bogie Yaalon (Blue and White party) to Interim Israel Police Commander Moti Cohen: “Make it clear to your troops that they are policemen of the Israel Police, not of the Netanyahu Police”.
---
Figure5.
Opposition figure (Blue
and White party), retired
Mossad Deputy Chief:
Warning
– yesterday Yuli Edelstein locked down
the Knesset; today, the
Israel Police blocked the highway to Jerusalem because of a
legitimate protest convoy... and silenced the media. I wouldn’t be
surprised if the next step would be detention of journalists and
after that detention of opposition leaders, who dare to criticize
Netanyahu. We are watching
a script
that was previously
acted
in history.
–-
Figure6.
Strategic analyst
Lior Chorev:
Edelstein is behaving like a fifth column. The Knesset has never been
locked down like this, either during emergency, or during war. The
man should be held accountable.
---
By midday, while the clashes between police and protesters were
taking place in front of the Knesset, the Supreme Court, a few
hundred yards away, was hearing petitions against the emergency
electronic policing regulations.
By the end of the day, the Supreme Court issued an interim decree,
which immediately prohibited electronic policing by the Israel Police
and provided until midday next Tuesday for the Knesset to elect a new
permanent Foreign and Security Affairs Committee and approve the
Shin-Bet electronic policing regulations. Otherwise, Shin-Bet
policing had to stop as well. Such decision also placed pressure on
Edelstein and Netanyahu to permit the convening of the new Knesset...
As for the Corona epidemic itself – as of today there are close to
700 confirmed cases in Israel, but not a single death yet. However,
the epidemic has revealed the incompetence of the public health
system – shortage of protective gear for medical teams, shortage of
test kits, etc.
This morning started with a bizarre Corona-Mossad episode: Media
reported that last night the Mossad obtained Corona test kits through
a top secret operation in hostile nations. The publication of the
Mossad in such a manner appeared appeared to violate standard
procedures and meant to bolster Netanyahu’s image. However, a
couple of hours later it was reported that the Mossad operation was
botched – the Mossad obtained the wrong supplies…
Figure7.
Mossad in a botched top secret operation to procure Corona test
swabs.
Figure8.
Kann national public
broadcasting:
Corona
crisis | Tonight the Mossad
has
transported to Israel 100,000 Corona test kits in a secret operation…
The source says that the test kits are “from an excellent source”.
Figure9. Journalist Barak Ravid:
Senior Ministry of Health officers: The Mossad procured the wrong
supplies. Not what we needed for the Corona tests.
---
Ever
since the epidemic started, Netanyahu seems to perceive it as his
last chance to stay in power and avoid prosecution and a prison
sentence, even if it comes at the cost of breaking down all semblance
of a legitimate regime.
Figure10.
Journalist Noa Landau:
Key
sentence in
Netanyahu’s appearance
today: “While I am running the campaign against the Corona epidemic
and am
struggling
to save Israel’s citizens,
they are only scheming how to topple a prime minister who stands
guard”. They = representatives of the Knesset majority, who were
elected by the citizens of Israel, to topple = to replace in a
democratic election.
---
Every
night this week Netanyahu has appeared on prime-time TV in purported
press conferences, where he has taken no questions, only has made
dramatic, self-aggrandizing announcements.
One
recent night he announced that the testing crisis was over, and that
a free, drive-in testing center was to be opened in Tel-Aviv the next
morning for anyone wishing to be tested. The next morning it turned
out to be fake news. The testing center couldn’t be opened for lack
of test kits.
Another
night, he produced a bizarre prime-time TV live performance,
demonstrating how to correctly use a tissue napkin… purportedly a
key issue in fighting the epidemic...
Figure11. Live on prime-time TV – Netanyahu demonstrated how to use a
tissue napkin.
---
All of this is taking place on the background of rampant corruption
of all branches of government – the executive, the legislative and
the judiciary. [v]
What is abundantly clear – combined, the Corona epidemic and the
end of Netanyahu’s 11 year tenure as prime minister mark a critical
point in the history of the state of Israel. Which direction the
regime would follow in the aftermath remains unknown.
It should be noted that the Trump administration’s repeat meddling
in the Israeli elections in favor of Netanyahu over the past year
should be deemed a serious corrupting effect on Israeli politics and
the Israeli regime. Israel under the Netanyahu-Trump duo has reached
the status of a corrupt client state, not very different from that of
the Ukraine or Latin American US-propped regimes.
---
Yesterday, journalist Chen Liberman summed up the situation: “Not
every regime succumbs to Corona, but Israel’s is in the high-risk
group”.
LINKS
i Israel
passes emergency law to use mobile data for COVID-19 contact tracing
ii Israeli
intelligence veterans' letter to Netanyahu and military chiefs - in
full
iii 'Cyber'
Front Company Used to Foot Bill for Spying on Netanyahu Rival Gantz
iv
For the First Time Ever, Israeli Democracy Has Been Shut Down
v Sex,
bribes and recordings rocking the Israeli justice system
Suicide
of commander Efraim Bracha and "collapse" of the Israel
Police
Netanyahu's
corruption investigations: Government as a crime organization?
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