Netanyahu accused of using coronavirus to curb democracy, help himself

World

Published: 2020-03-19 17:10

Last Updated: 2024-03-27 12:09


Netanyahu accused of using coronavirus to curb democracy, help himself
Netanyahu accused of using coronavirus to curb democracy, help himself

The leaders of the opposition in Israel and human rights activists warned that government caretaker ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using the coronavirus crisis to serve his own purposes.

The accusations were heightened after Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein of Likud adjourned parliament till Monday before committees were formed. The opposition forces fear that by Monday there may be a curfew imposed in Israel as a measure to curb the Coronavirus which would effectively paralyze parliament, tasked with monitoring government performance especially in times of crisis. One of the committees is tasked with overseeing government performance on the Coronavirus crisis.

“The Knesset is not fulfilling the minimal obligations imposed on a parliament in a democratic regime to oversee the activities of the government," warned Legal Adviser Eyal Yinon in a letter sent to Edelstein.

Before adjourning the Knesset, Edelstein, a close ally of Netanyahu, used his veto power to stop a vote to replace him attempted by Benny Gantz, the leader of Blue and White.

Member of Knesset Yair Lapid, the second man in Israel’s Blue and White party that was asked to form a government by President Reuven Rivlin, declared in a video yesterday that “Israel is no longer a democracy.”

“The legislature was closed today, illegally,” Lapid said. “The previous Knesset speaker, who wasn’t elected to the position, closed the Knesset. Before that, he refused the request of a majority of the Knessset, 62 MKs, to pick a new speaker instead of him.”

Lapid also cited an order by Netanyahu to start monitoring Coronavirus victims through a surveillance system Israeli occupation forces use to monitor Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Whereas the system is described by Israel as “necessary” for the security of Israelis despite its infringement of Palestinian human rights, using it on Israeli nationals is being described as a measure that robs them their privacy.

Lapid also cited the fact that the courts were closed down just in time to miss Netanyahu’s session on charges of corruption. “The judiciary was closed four days ago, in an order given at 1 a.m., without anyone knowing about it,” he said, referring to Justice Minister Amir Ohana’s decision to close the courts. Ohana is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud.