The all-out war being waged these days by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political messengers and Israel’s law enforcement authorities exceeds all expectations and the most daring scenarios imagined in recent months.
The issue is not only the justice minister’s unprecedented broadside against the country’s law enforcement system. The minister, Amir Ohana, a surprising, puzzling personal appointment by Netanyahu to his transition government, is particularly close to the prime minister’s son, Yair Netanyahu. In his Oct. 29 attack, Ohana did not merely criticize the system under his tutelage, he set out to crush it. Never has an Israeli government minister lashed out with such ferocity against a department and officials under his responsibility, including personal attacks and undermining credibility and motivations in an attempt to call into question the legitimacy of one of the country’s most important systems of governance. This week’s clash between the justice minister and law enforcement authorities brings to mind the war between President Donald Trump and the US legal and intelligence establishment, in Israeli dimensions, of course.
Ohana’s wild attack on the country’s law enforcement authorities, which he delivered in a specially convened news conference, astounded even top figures in his Likud party. Some of them kept silent, and didn’t back publicly his remarks. Others have expressed lukewarm and not particular committed support. Many of the party’s top echelons realize that the timing of the attack, its severity and the fact that the prime minister did not condemn it are instrumental in the attempts to torpedo the formation of a unity government comprised of the Likud and opposition Blue and White party.
The top echelons of Blue and White are equally pessimistic. “How can we establish a government with this gang?” asked one of the members of the party’s leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity to Al-Monitor. “Do you see us sitting in a government with a party trying to crush the rule of law in Israel?”
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
