Following my last blog , describing how ineffective the U.N. has become with the years, mostly because of the obstinacy of some of the world's powers, and their selfishness regarding their tight interests, as well the protection and ambitions of their leaders.... One other example was always Israel, defying any and all U.N resolutions, and today as unrest engulfs the country, a controversial figure from the religious far right (Itamar Ben-Gvir) Israel's minister of chaos helps Benjamin Netanyahu hold on to power, the extreme right zealots with Netanyahu are aiming to establish a theocratic fascist dictatorship.
On this past Tuesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Israel to suspend two draft judicial reform bills for fear of their impact on human rights and the independence of the judiciary.
"Given the level of popular and political concern, I call on the Israeli government to suspend the proposed legislative amendments and to open a broader space for discussion and reflection," The Austrian high commissioner Volker Turk said, after the Israeli parliament approved, on Tuesday, the first reading of two bills related to controversial judicial reform.
"These issues at the heart of the rule of law deserve the utmost attention in order to ensure that any change enhances, rather than diminishes, the ability of the judiciary - and other branches of government - to protect the rights of all residents of Israel," he added in a statement.
Judicial reform is considered a basic program in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government coalition, which includes ultra-Orthodox and far-right Jewish parties, and assumed power in late December 2022. However, a large part of public opinion moved against this project, and about two months ago, Saturday evening became the date for the weekly demonstration against the project' proposed law.
On Monday, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Jerusalem in the vicinity of Parliament against the vote, before which discussions were suspended, amid a boycott of a number of opposition deputies who wrapped themselves in the Israeli flag, shouting "shame", and were temporarily excluded from the session.
"Changes that touch the core of a country's long-established constituent structure and that affect well-established institutional guarantees should only be made after broad consultations and with a broad and public political consensus," Volker Turk continued.
He considered that judicial reform "will greatly undermine the ability of the judiciary to protect individual rights and uphold the rule of law as a means of effective institutional oversight of the executive and legislative branches."
He added, “I am afraid that these amendments, if approved, will weaken the protection of the rights of all persons, especially the most vulnerable communities and groups who are least able to defend their rights through representation in the executive and legislative branches of government,” especially Arab Israelis, asylum seekers, and LGBT people.
My, many thanks for your continued interest and following of the blog .....
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