One of the most iconic economic newspapers in the world, the British publication The Economist, published Thursday a heated article against the Israeli judicial reform and listed the risks involved in it. In the title of the article, they wondered: "Will Bibi Break Israel?" while on the cover, Netanyahu's image is emblazoned within a torn Israeli flag.
At the beginning of the article, the article listed Israel's achievements and its excellent economic figures, chief among them the GDP, which last year reached an amazing figure of 55,000 dollars per capita.
Israel is in turmoil. A struggle over its identity has become polarised. Moderate Israelis must resist Binyamin Netanyahu’s power grab—and prevent him from breaking the country https://t.co/G3ueeFHeVF pic.twitter.com/iyrnztldim
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 16, 2023
The article claimed that “instead of celebrations, Israel faces a crisis. Judicial reforms proposed by the right-wing coalition government would undermine the rule of law and weaken Israeli democracy. The prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who has led Israel for 15 of the past 27 years, prides himself on making ruthless, often ugly, trade-offs that ultimately leave Israel stronger. Now he risks squandering his legacy and leaving Israel less able to cope with the social and geopolitical challenges of the coming decades.”
Although the article emphasized that Israel is nowhere near a financial collapse, quite the opposite, constant pressure against the reform from leaders of the different industries could eventually bring to a reversal in that prediction. The over-dramatized article comes as protests in Israel against the reform continue, and as Netanyahu was paying a visit to Berlin to discuss compromises in his legislation among other things.
The Economist dedicated its cover article to the crisis in Israel. @AnshelPfeffer outlines the rift in our society and the fear of where it can lead us. https://t.co/6jzEnakD1M
— Israelis for democracy (@IL_Democracy) March 17, 2023
Netanyahu referred to the reform while in Berlin and began a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz by saying that "the president's proposal is a great missed opportunity. It is not the plan of the people and I am not sure that it is the plan of half the people." He added and explained: "What was presented to the president by the coalition regarding the committee for appointing judges included an outline of two stages, a certain immediate correction and then a balance. The president heard these things and put them aside."
"I am attentive to what is happening in the nation [referring to the demonstrations], but we need to bring something that is in line with the mandate we received and we will do it in a responsible manner," he promised. He further added: "There was no stipulation on the part of the chancellor of the relations with Israel because of the reform, especially not when it comes to security relations."
Israel’s ever-growing civil unrest from The Economist Espresso https://t.co/g1nvC32rag
— Pedro RodrĂguez (@PedroRodriguezW) March 16, 2023
It is also worth noting that according to Israeli reports, the German president inquired with Netanyahu about the possibility of him mediating between Russia and Ukraine. In response, Netanyahu claimed that currently there is no room for maneuver that allows for mediation, but he will continue to monitor such a possibility.
