Categories: Government / Business and Economy

Netanyahu to Have Ron Dermer Talk to US Investment and Credit Rating Firms

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February 4, 2023, 9 PM ET

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PM Netanyahu has asked Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to speak to the US investment and credit rating firms about the government's judicial reform plans, according to Amalya Duek, the economics correspondent for Israel's channel 12. Normally, staff from the Finance ministry talk with those organizations.

פרסום ראשון - בצעד חריג, נתניהו ביקש מרון דרמר מקורבו להיות זה שיקיים שיחות עם בתי ההשקעות וסוכנויות הדירוג בעניין הרפורמה המשפטית. בשגרה, מי שמנהלים את השיחות הם אנשי האוצר ולא דרג פוליטי.
— עמליה דואק (@AmalyaDuek) February 4, 2023

Since even before the judicial reform bill was announced, Israel's left wing have become more threatening and shrill in their reactions to the proposal, which they have refused to debate and discuss in the Knesset committee. What began with leftwing calls to harm and even destroy Israel's economy in order to block the bill, has now escalated into calls to begin picking up guns, and even assassinating PM Netanyahu.

Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar arrive at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Jan. 3, 2023

The judicial reform bill is being introduced to restore balance between the legislative and judicial branches of government. After decades of judicial activism and overreach, the bill would let elected official select and appoint Supreme Court justices, who would have to go through a hearing process, instead of the Supreme Court justices essentially picking their own replacements. In addition, it would regulate the conditions in which the Supreme Court would be allowed to cancel laws passed by the Knesset, and how and when the Knesset can override the court's decisions. All of the proposed reforms are standard fair in one form or another in democracies around the world. The actual battle is actually about the left losing their control over elected government decisions via the left-leaning Supreme Court, which would now be subject to clear guidelines and checks and balances. Notably, many of the leaders of the current protests are the same people who led the regular anti-Netanyahu protests when he previously served as prime minister. The investment and credit rating firms are beginning to express slight concern by the "noise" being made by the Israeli leftwing protesters and their calls to destabilize Israel's economy.

הבטחתי ניתוח מעמיק של דוח JPM והעיוותים שלו בתקשורת אבל לא הספקתי כי הוזעקתי לדבר עליו באולפן כאן11 ויום שישי קצר. עיקרי הדברים: נתחיל מהכותרת - יש תנודתיות מקומית (בציוץ אתמול הראנו מה גרם לה, המחאה) אבל ההמלצה היא נייטרלית על השקל כלומר לא צפוי להחלש והמלצת אחזקה של אג"ח 1/9 pic.twitter.com/H5u6KZAPCS
— אמציה סמקאי (@AmatziaSamkai) February 3, 2023

אני יודע שאנגלית היא שפה קשה ולא בכל גופי התקשורת למדו לימודי ליבה.
הנה קריאה מודרכת גם בדוח של ברקליס.
הכותרת: האם בברקליס מודאגים מעתיד הדמוקרטיה הישראלית? לא.
הם מדברים על סערה פוליטית ומציינים סיכון קל למשבר קואליציוני.
בגלל היכולת של העליון לבטל חוקים? לא. בגלל דרעי.
1/12 pic.twitter.com/hUY6PqDCyD
— אמציה סמקאי (@AmatziaSamkai) February 4, 2023

The Shabak and police chief met on Saturday night to discuss the calls for violence and murder and said they will investigate everyone inciting violence or calling to harm public officials. On Saturday night, a number of the public figures that called for violence and worse have begun walking back their statements. Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the calls to assassinate Netanyahu and violence. Ron Dermer, born in Florida, was previously the Israeli ambassador to the US and is considered close to Netanyahu.