Last week, it was reported that President Reuven Rivlin plans to appoint someone other than Prime Minister Netanyahu to form the post-election coalition – even if the Likud wins the election – due to long-standing acrimony between the prime minister and president.
It is time for Israel to put an end to the institution of presidency. Just like all regime institutions, the presidency has become part of the political game. Unlike the way it was in the past, the president of the State of Israel is currently appointed from within the political world, by politicians and as part of broad political considerations. As such, the presidency does not unify the Nation. On the contrary, it deepens the rift.
The time has come to do away with the job that Ben Gurion arranged for his political adversary, Chaim Weizmann, at the expense of the public. The appointment to put together a coalition after elections – currently executed by the president – can automatically be bestowed upon the head of the party that has won the most seats, with the second chance automatically given to the party that is the runner up.
The power of presidential pardon can be transferred to a committee comprised of the Speaker of the Knesset, the Chief Justice, and the Chief Rabbi (this is just a proposal). In short, we’ve had enough of the superfluous foolishness called the institution of presidency.
* * * * *
Why is it fine for the High Court to override the government’s decision not to allow leftist BDS activist Lara Elqasem into Israel? The question of who the state chooses to host is not the High Court’s business! Can somebody force you to host someone who you are not interested in hosting in your home?
When the British government decided to ban me from entering its gates, I didn’t even think of turning to the British courts. The elected government of Britain is the representative of the nation, which makes it its “homeowner.” The homeowner decides who comes into the British national home and who does not.
In Israel, the High Court has decided that it is the homeowner. It is not the High Court’s fault. If the Right had given you the country, you wouldn’t take it?
But then Israel woke up to the understanding that even the High Court is not sovereign in our country. The High Court had authorized the evacuation of the illegal Bedouin settlement, Han el Ahmar. But the president of the International Court in Hague issued a warning and Israel’s government simply backed down.
Israel needs leadership that doesn’t dream about shopping in Marks and Spencer, leadership that knows how to exercise its sovereignty and believes that it is the duly elected homeowner of our national home.
