Benjamin Netanyahu and Aryeh at Cabinet meeting (Photo by Deri Kobi Gideon GPO)
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu fired Ayreh Deri from Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday. Deri held dual roles of Minister of Interior and Health and was also Vice Prime Minister. The firing came after Israel’s Supreme Court last week ruled that Deri – the leader of the Sephardic ultra-orthodox Shas Party – cannot serve as a minister because he was twice convicted on corruption charges, with the most recent conviction coming in the last year.
Benjamin Netanyahu fired Deri, because Aryeh Deri declined to resign from his post, feeling that a resignation on his part would be a statement that he accepted the court’s ruling. Netanyahu met privately with Deri at Deri’s home in Jerusalem Thursday night to discuss their options in light of the Supreme Court ruling.
The decision to fire Deri came as a surprise to many who thought that Netanyahu would use the court’s ruling as a wedge issue to promote his government’s proposed judicial reforms. The reforms, which include greatly curtailing the authority of Israel’s Supreme Court, have been met with massive demonstrations and public outcries by people who see it as an attempt to usurp democracy in Israel.
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Reading from his letter to Aryeh Deri, Benjamin Netanyahu stated at Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, “As is known, I decided to appoint you as Deputy Prime Minister and Interior and Health Minister with the approval of the majority of Knesset members due to the fact that I see you as an anchor of experience, intelligence and responsibility that are important to the State of Israel at all times, and especially at this time.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, however, charged that Israel’s Supreme Court “Ignores the will of the people, as reflected in the great trust that the public gave to the people’s representatives and their elected officials in my government when it was clear to everyone that he would serve in the government as a senior minister. I intend to look for any legal way in which you can continue to contribute to the State of Israel from your vast experiences and skills, in accordance with the will of the people.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri, and other leaders of Israel’s government claim that such rulings by Israel’s courts go too far, usurp the will of the democratically elected government, and are the reason for the proposed judicial reforms. But opponents state that since Israel has no written constitution and no real system of checks and balances as they have in the US, it, as a democratic nation, needs to have a strong supreme court empowered to nullify laws and government appointments – including cabinet ministers – because it is the only check on the government.
Aryehy Deri, Benjamin Netanyahu and their government are adamant that they will continue to push through their judicial reform plan, however. The plan would allow an absolute majority of 61 members of the Knesset to override any Supreme Court ruling like the one nullifying Deri’s appointment as a government minister. If passed, the Knesset could then pass a new law that would allow Deri to return to the cabinet.
