Newsletter to Congress:
Pro-Deal Protests, West Bank Violence, Indifferent Government
It has been horrible two weeks for Israel, with the recovery of six hostages that we know we could have bring back alive had our government accepted a deal. At the same time, the West Bank is on the verge of violent explosion - and Israel's government is doing all they can to not just continue this war, but to avoid accountability.
As always, here's an update of recent events in Israel, from Israel, from a liberal perspective - who's greatly needed this days. For more information, please visit our website or social media accounts.
Gaza:
As the fighting continues with no end in sight, the most notable event of the past two weeks is the recovery of the bodies of six hostages from Gaza - Hirsch Goldberg-Polin (a U.S. citizen whose parents spoke at the Democratic National Convention and called for his return), Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lubanov, and Almog Sarusi RIP - after they were executed by their captors as the IDF approached.
Alongside the fighting, which takes the lives of Israelis and Palestinians alike, negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages continue, although optimism for an agreement is waning due to disputes over Israeli control of the Philadelphi Route.
The West Bank and the Northen Front:
On Sunday, three Israeli civilians were murdered by a Jordanian truck driver who shot them at the Israel-Jordan border crossing, his motive unclear.
As part of the IDF’s commitment to transparency, the investigation into the tragic death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American citizen near Nablus, is still ongoing, and it is too early to know how or why she was killed.
Despite a relatively calm couple of weeks, Israel's north is still abandoned—around 90,000 Israelis are internally displaced, as they can't return to their homes near the Lebanon border due to the constant day-to-day bombing by Hezbollah. This is exceptionally worrisome as the new school year began on September 1st, with children unable to return to school.
Domestic Arena:
Pro-Deal Protests: The news of the hostages, who had become household names in Israel and were executed by Hamas despite being on the list of those set to be released in a deal, has fueled widespread anger towards Netanyahu’s government, as it is perceived as stalling efforts to secure a deal for the release of the hostages, with 61% of Israelis believing it does not do enough.
This has led to a week of massive and furious protests across the country, involving hundreds of thousands of Israelis, including several clashed with the police. 60% of Israelis now support a deal to end the war and bring back the hostages, viewing the current government as abandoning the 101 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas, possibly for political reasons.
The return of judicial overhaul:
The Supreme Court has ordered Justice Minister Yariv Levin to convene the committee for the selection of judges to approve the new Chief Justice for the Supreme Court. Levin has refused, as he is opposing the Seniority System in which the most senior justice is appointed. Under this system, Judge Yitzhak Amit, a government critic, would become the new president.
Levin instead proposes a compromise in which Judge Yosef Elron, considered more acceptable by Levin, would serve as president for a year before being replaced by Judge Amit.
Critics of the government view this as a preemptive move against growing calls for a National Commission of Inquiry into the October 7th failures, which a former Chief Justice would likely lead—and as the only former Chief Justice available is Judge Emeritus Ester Hayut, a vocal critic of the government, Levin and Netanyahu have a major incentive to prevent such a commission.
If Levin's proposal is accepted, the inquiry would be less critical of the government's actions. Levin's attempt to revive judicial overhaul during the war has also intensified opposition and civil society protests.
The budget:
Discussions on the 2025 state budget have resumed, drawing heavy criticism of the government and particularly Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both from opposition and within the coalition. After a dispute with professional staff, Smotrich has shown more willingness to work with them to draft the budget, aiming to address war-related expenses and reduce the deficit. To achieve this, Smotrich is pushing for cuts in health, welfare, and education, while avoiding cuts to settlement projects.
Critics outside the government accuse Smotrich of leading cuts that will harm all Israelis, particularly working Israelis, due to his refusal to cut coalition funds— billions allocated to coalition parties for sectoral purposes.
At the same time, Ultra-Orthodox parties have announced they will refuse to vote for budget-related decisions until their private educational network subsidies are secured. It’s important to note that under Israeli law, the government's failure to pass a budget proposal in the Knesset is equivalent to a no-confidence vote, which could lead to the dissolution of the government and new elections.
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