Coalition negotiations are underway as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hopes to assemble another coalition government. As is always the case, there are always demands for the various government portfolios, with a focus on the senior posts. One of those senior posts is the Justice Ministry, which MK Betzalel Smotrich of the United Right-Wing hopes to receive. He holds the second slot on the party list.
During an interview with News12’s Oded Ben-Ami, Smotrich explained that he is being warned against accepting the Justice Ministry slot, implying if he does, they will fabricate a [criminal] case against him.
“I have an orderly plan that will balance the relationship between the Knesset, the government and the judicial system more correctly,” he said in an interview, “It will make Israel a much better place for everyone.”
Smotrich said in an interview that when he was appointed justice minister, he intended to pass the Override clause and cancel the Reasonableness clause for elected officials in an effort to establish a new baseline in the ongoing battle between the legislative and judicial branches, i.e., the Knesset and High Court of Justice. “I have a number of ideas that I want to place in the foundations of the court, in order to strengthen and fortify its position,” he said. “Trust in the judicial system is at an unprecedented low according to all public surveys and studies.”
He clarified that in his view the legal system, the institution of the Attorney General and the State Prosecutor’s Office require attention and correction: “Our goal is to create a more correct series of relations between the Knesset and the government, elected officials and the legal system.”
Smotrich also referred to statements made by law enforcement and justice officials, calling on him not to appoint him as justice minister or as minister of public security. “None of us wants to think it’s real,” he said in an interview. “Do you think that a prime minister will change his mind in the wake of the threats that one decision or another will affect the work of the investigating authorities? ” he completed.
In the outgoing government, Ayelet Shaked of the former Bayit Yehudi party held the post of justice minister but her party failed to cross the minimum election threshold to enter the forming Knesset.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Second slot on a small list wanting one of the most important positions? And if holds his breath until it turns blue Likud can get a better offer from the “Blue and white” which would be quite happy to join the government in what could be a two party coalition. All “blue and white” has to settle for is less patronage than all the small parties put together, which wold hardly be a hardship for them, or Likud.
They’re against Smotrich because he stands up for traditional marriage and refuses to be bullied by the perverts that run the justice system.
Netanyahu and the Likud will only bring Blue and White into the government as a last resort: Giving Ganz, Lapid, Bugi & Ashkenazi ministerial positions will only enhance their public standing and will greatly increase their chances of unseating Netanyahu in the next round of elections. Smotrich knows that and hopes to use it to leverage himself into the position of Minister of Justice, which in other circumstances would be a huge overshot for someone of his very minor accomplishments. My best guess at this stage is that Smotrich will indeed manage to leverage himself into a larger position than he is currently qualified for, but nothing on the scale and complexity of the Minister of Justice.