It is extremely important that the Knesset pass legislation that allows it to override decisions of the Court. The court is fixated on human rights and not on Zionist rights. By that I mean that sometimes human rights need to take a back seat to things like security and Zionism. The latter has to do with keeping Israel as a Jewish state first and foremost. Ted Belman
Residents of southern Tel Aviv set up a “mourning tent” in reaction to the High Court’s decision to strike down the Infiltrators Law.
Residents of southern Tel Aviv on Monday evening set up a “mourning tent” at the Habima Square in the city, in a reaction to the High Court’s decision to strike down key sections of the Infiltrators Law that made it possible to detain illegal immigrants without trial for up to one year.
Residents of southern Tel Aviv have been suffering from endless harassment, fear and violence perpetrated by the many illegal Eritrean and Sudanese infiltrators who enter Israel to find employment and come to live in their working class neighborhood.
In its ruling, the court said that about 2,000 illegal infiltrators from Eritrea and Sudan who are currently being held at the Holot detention facility in the Negev must be set free in three months’ time.
Speaking at the protest, MK Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home), said that in its decision, “The High Court told all the citizens of Africa: Come to Israel. The meaning of this ruling is the end of this state as Jewish and democratic.”
Orly Yugir, Director of the Center for Immigration Policy, said, “The ruling is completely disconnected from the reality on the ground, from Israeli democracy and from the weak layers in Israeli society. The detention facilities have proven themselves most effective in stopping the flow of infiltration and as the decisive factor in the decision of thousands of infiltrators to return to their home countries in recent months.”
Monday’s decision was criticized by nationalist MKs. Jewish Home Chairman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said the decision reflected the degree of disconnection between the judges and the reality on the ground in southern Tel Aviv, where most of the infiltrators reside.
“In a time of security-related and economic distress, the High Court has sent an open invitation to tens of thousands of infiltrators to come to Israel. You infiltrate, you win. We must obey the rule of law, but the High Court is exhibiting excess activism and in effect is taking away authority from the government – which bears the ultimate responsibility for the security and welfare of Israel.”
Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) said that the High Court judges “broke a new record in turning their back on the state of Israel.”
“It is hard to believe that the High Court, with its own hands, is diminishing Israel’s ability to defend itself from the phenomenon of infiltration. What good is the border fence when every infiltrator knows that the High Court ties the state’s hands behind its back and it cannot do anything? This is a black day for the rule of law in Israel.”
MK Ze’ev Elkin (Likud), Chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, called the decision “scandalous.” the High Court, he said, “preferred the welfare of illegal infiltrators over the security of hundreds of thousands of law abiding citizens in Israel. The justice system cannot replace the Knesset and government in order to protect lawbreakers and detract from the Jewish nature of the state of Israel, and the security of its residents.”
MK Elkin called on the Knesset to pass a law that makes it possible to override a High Court decision annulling a law.
ebyjeeby Said:
You do realize to enforce such a law, a military type force would have to be employed.
@honeybee – Absolutely! And across the whole southern border.
A law such as this this is need on the TX/MX border.
Retention election for judges would provide a check on their crass behavior.
Israel is unique as a country in which judges can appoint themselves without legislative confirmation and they can rule with impunity.
Its not surprising then why they can issue bone-headed decisions like this one.
@ NormanF:
Outrage and protests are useless…
The people must elect the judges directly. The self elected garbage must be bypassed and if their hired guns attack the people, self defense will be imperative.
The Knesset has to restore the parliamentary principle of parliamentary supremacy.
Israel’s unelected Supreme Court should not be allowed to decide public policy. No one voted for it.
If people don’t like a law, the appropriate way to address it is via the ballot box. The Justices don’t have to pay the personal price of illegal infiltration. The people of South Tel Aviv do.
And they have no business telling them to put up with it.