02:57
Israeli arrested posing as a soldier
A 35-year-old Israeli has been arrested for allegedly pretending to be a soldier. The man, Roi Yifrah, is said to have even managed to have himself photographed alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yifrah never served in the army, but managed to move to the Gaza Strip to fight alongside the Israeli army.
According to Israeli police, the man was arrested on charges of weapons theft and impersonating a member of the security forces.
Yifrah is said to have posed as a member of the specialized Yamam commando. He also allegedly claimed to be an agent of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service.
Last week he was photographed at Netanyahu’s side.
The man’s lawyer states that Yifrah went to the Gaza Strip as a volunteer aid worker. According to the Israeli news site Ynet, the man was previously convicted of illegal possession of weapons and drugs.
02:57
Israeli Supreme Court shoots down controversial justice reform
The Israeli Supreme Court decided on Monday by a razor-thin majority to shoot down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial justice reform. This threatens a national crisis.
Despite weeks of street protests, Netanyahu pushed ahead with his controversial reform under which the Supreme Court would no longer be able to label government appointments or proposals as “unreasonable.” According to critics, this could encourage arbitrariness and corruption. Netanyahu countered that the judiciary in Israel is too powerful because unelected judges have too much influence on political decision-making.
The controversial reform was approved in parliament in July, after which several objections were filed with the Supreme Court. There, for the first time in history, all fifteen judges considered the case.
The Supreme Court now ruled by a majority of eight to seven that that reform would “cause serious and unprecedented damage to Israel’s core values as a democratic state.”
Israel has no constitution and that is why many residents believe it is important that judges can blow the whistle on the government to prevent abuse of power.
The decision is seen as a defeat for Netanyahu, although it remains to be seen whether the Israeli prime minister will accept the Supreme Court’s decision. In an interview with CNN in September, Netanyahu dodged the question. “I believe that we should adhere to the rulings of the Supreme Court and that the Supreme Court should adhere to the laws that parliament passes,” he said at the time.
Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of the driving forces behind the justice reform, accused the Supreme Court on Monday of “usurping all the powers” for itself.
According to the Israeli news website ynet, Levin added that “the ruling, which is unprecedented in a Western democracy, will not discourage us. As the battle continues on various fronts, we will continue to act with restraint and responsibility.”
The same tenor can be heard in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party. “The court’s decision is at odds with the will of the people to form unity, especially in times of war,” it said.
Parliament Speaker Amir Ochana, in turn, questions the authority of the Supreme Court. According to him, the highest court has no right to declare laws illegal.
Israeli opposition leader Jair Lapid has expressed support for the Supreme Court’s decision. “The Supreme Court’s decision comes at the end of a year of struggle that has torn us apart from within and led to the worst catastrophe in our history,” Lapid wrote on X. “We give the Supreme Court our full backing,” the opposition leader said . Lapid also warned the government against picking up the fight again. “That would mean she hasn’t learned anything.”
The Israeli Good Governance Movement, one of the advocacy groups that petitioned the highest court, called it a “historic day” and a “major public victory for those fighting for democracy.”