A couple of days back, I predicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would ignore the ruling of Israel's Supreme Court which said Shas leader Aryeh Deri could not serve in his cabinet because of his criminal convictions.
Well, I was wrong. Netanyahu formally dismissed Deri today albeit reluctantly. “This unfortunate decision ignores the people’s will,” Netanyahu told Deri. “I intend to find any legal way for you to continue to contribute to the state of Israel.”
I don't think it has anything to do with the will of the people, but rather the will of Netanyahu. With that said, I think Bibi said this to mollify Shas MKs who are considering withdrawing their support for Netanyahu as a result of abiding by the court's decision.
Of course, there is the question of why Netanyahu abided by the court ruling. While there have been protests against the new government's proposal to rein in Israel's judiciary, I think Netanyahu is trying to stay on the good side with the Biden Administration. Unlike former President Obama, Netanyahu has long enjoyed a good relationship with Biden and wants to keep it that way.
Netanyahu was visited by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and he has reportedly given Sullivan assurances that changes to Israel's judiciary will not be as drastic as proposed. Of course, if this is the case, one wonders how long Shas and the other religious parties will see fit to remain in Netanyahu's coalition and force Israel's sixth election since 2019.
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