By Mohammad El Sahily | Staff Writer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reluctantly fired key cabinet ally, Minister of Finance Aryeh Deri, on Sunday, abiding by a Supreme Court ruling that the man was unfit for office in part because of a previous criminal conviction for bribery and fraud against him. The decision comes amidst a constitutional crisis- Netanyahu seeks to promulgate new legislation which allows the Knesset, by a simple majority, to override rulings issued from the Supreme Court; which consequently impacts the ruling government coalition. Netanyahu promised to reverse the decision against Deri by any legal means, maintaining his intent to abide by it, nonetheless.
Deri is the leader of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas, which is one of the most powerful blocs in the Knesset. Mainly composed of religious Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, Shas worked to end the discrimination against these communities while following a center right line of politics. In the last elections, Shas gained 11 seats, making it a natural choice of coalition ally for Netanyahu’s successful Likud-led coalition. Deri was widely considered to be one of Netanyahu’s strongest allies and a reliable supporter in the cabinet and in the Knesset, and his appointment was considered a personal victory for Netanyahu and the Likud party.
In 1999, after allegations of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust, Deri was sentenced to three years in prison, of which he served only twenty two months on account of good behavior. In 2012, Deri returned to public life and has been the undisputed leader of Shas ever since. Also, he has been subject to numerous criminal investigations under similar allegations of wrongdoing, and the judicial overhaul that Netanyahu had promptly planned was partially aimed to helping Aryeh Deri overcome his financial and legal hurdles and prevent similar prosecution attempts from destabilizing any present or future coalitions led by Netanyahu.
The court claimed that Deri pledged to retire from politics at the event of his latest plea deal, and therefore there was no reason why he should return to the political scene. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled overwhelmingly (10-1) against Deri’s appointment in the Health ministry. Deri promised to continue to lead Shas as a lawmaker in the Knesset, chairing its faction meetings, and to attend meetings of coalition party chiefs. Indeed, Deri subsequently participated in a meeting of coalition chiefs convened by Netanyahu soon after the cabinet meeting at which he was fired, in defiance of the ruling.
The push by Netanyahu’s government to remake the Israeli judiciary would also include transferring the appointment of judges to political (Knesset) control and creating a blocking mechanism to protect the Basic Laws from court interference and to re-legislate other laws struck down by the court. His government says it is necessary to correct the balance of power between the political and judicial branches, but critics, including over 100,000 Israelis who took to the streets on Saturday night to protest the reform plan, say it threatens democratic institutions and endangers civil liberties by giving virtually all power to the governing coalition.