Israel

[Dom]

Thousands of emails were sent by community members of the Reform movement around the world were sent to Israeli embassies and consulates as well as to Israel’s Justice Minister and Prime Minister, urging them to preserve democracy in Israel as a result of the planned Judicial reforms. 

The campaign was launched during the weekend and thousands of the Reform movement communities sent emails to Israeli embassies and consulates throughout the US, Europe, Canada, South Africa, England and Australia.

What did they say in the letter?
“We are deeply concerned by the dangerous new legislation that would undermine the Israeli legal system and Israeli democracy in order to serve extremist and short-sighted political interests,” the letter, which was also sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, stated.

“We will not stay silent when Israel’s democracy is in danger. The only Jewish State in the world must remain a democracy that protects the rights of all its citizens. We call upon you to stop these dangerous initiatives now.”

Thousands of Reform Jews send letters to Israeli embassies, Netanyahu - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

[Minimalist]

Fanatics will not be stopped by a letter.

[Cavebear]

Fanatics will not be stopped by a letter.

1. The letter from Albert Einstein that started the Atomic Age.

In it, he alerted the president to work being conducted by scientists such as Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard that may one day soon result in a “nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium.” The consequences of such an achievement, Einstein wrote, would be “extremely powerful bombs of a new type.”

2. The letter from George Washington.

Washington wrote a letter to a proven operative named Nathaniel Sackett. Washington offered Sackett $50 a month to develop a network of spies and a system of espionage that could gather intelligence. Although Sackett didn’t make much progress, another operative, Benjamin Tallmadge, did. His Culper Spy Ring successfully gathered information about British troop movement and plans and had it delivered to Washington. British plans were continually breached, and General Cornwallis surrendered in 1781.

3. The letter that influenced the Civil Rights Movement.

In the letter, King argued passionately against the idea of waiting patiently for social change to be enacted. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” King wrote. The piece, which was later published in The Atlantic as well as King’s own book, 1964’s Why We Can’t Wait, was viewed as a rallying cry for activism during a crucial period in history and as documentation of the movement itself.

4. The letter from a mother that helped give women the right to vote.

In 1920, the fate of women’s suffrage rested in the hands of a man who was publicly opposed to the movement. On August 18 of that year, Tennessee House Representative Harry Thomas Burn cast the deciding vote on whether his state would ratify the 19th Amendment. He voted "for". The reason? In his jacket pocket was a letter from his mother, Febb Ensminger Burn, that urged him to side with the cause of women’s suffrage. “Don’t forget to be a good boy,” she admonished. Burn later said that “a mother’s advice is always safest for a boy to follow.”

Letters matter...

[Minimalist]

You'll be sure to let me know when Netanyahoo and his zionist fascists ( now THERE's a concept!) say "wow...look at all these emails...we better stop what we're doing," won't you.

I'm not holding my breath.

[Dom]

You'll be sure to let me know when Netanyahoo and his zionist fascists ( now THERE's a concept!) say "wow...look at all these emails...we better stop what we're doing," won't you.

I'm not holding my breath.

The mail is not the point. The fascism is.

[abaris]

@Cavebear, you miss the fact that this government is only kept afloat by religious zealots and the extreme right. These are people you can't reason with. Neither with letters nor with debates.

[Dom]

Netanyahu’s joy may be short-lived. Putting together his coalition proved to be surprisingly complicated, requiring nearly two months of painstaking negotiations and a series of legal maneuvers just to allow his partners to take office. Among them: newly created Cabinet positions with widespread authority over security and a law allowing a politician on probation for a criminal conviction to be a government minister.

Along the way, he was forced to make generous concessions to allies that include commitments to expanding West Bank settlements, proposals to allow discrimination against against LGBTQ people and boosting subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men to study instead of work.


If these plans are carried out, they will alienate large portions of the Israeli public, raise the chances of conflict with the Palestinians, upset Israel’s powerful security establishment and put Israel on a collision course with some of its closest allies, including the U.S. government and the American Jewish community. Even members of Netanyahu’s Likud Party are grumbling.

Netanyahu has sought to play down concerns, saying that he will set policy — little comfort for his many critics who have bristled at his hard-line policies toward the Palestinians. His ultranationalist partners will also have great leverage over him because they have promised to promote legislation that could dismiss criminal charges against him. They are sure to test his limits.

As Israel’s Netanyahu returns to office, troubles lie ahead - POLITICO

[Thumpalumpacus]

Just like Trump, Netanyahu's administration is beholden to extremists for crucial support. There's a reason he's trying to undercut judicial oversight, and that's because he knows he can't deliver to his coalition partners while there's any check on his powers otherwise.

[Aliza]

I should probably check the news once in awhile.

[Bucky Ball]

You'll be sure to let me know when Netanyahoo and his zionist fascists ( now THERE's a concept!) say "wow...look at all these emails...we better stop what we're doing," won't you.

I'm not holding my breath.

The "reformers" should send copies to their reps in Washington, and say *no more money for them* if they do this, ... and BTW *no more money* unless the illegal expansion of the West Bank settlements stop dead where they are.

[Dom]

Well, the streets are and have been chuck full of protesters in Israel. It does look like Netanyahu is going to relent and not disable the legislative branch by making a law that he can overrule judges. But that is still speculation, he could still go full tilt.

[Dom]

Apparently, there is now a general strike in Israel and everything has come to a stand-still. Some of the airport is still functioning, but everything else has shut down, even embassies.

[Dānu]

[Minimalist]

I should probably check the news once in awhile.

That would probably not go well.

[Minimalist]

Netanyahu’s joy may be short-lived. Putting together his coalition proved to be surprisingly complicated, requiring nearly two months of painstaking negotiations and a series of legal maneuvers just to allow his partners to take office. Among them: newly created Cabinet positions with widespread authority over security and a law allowing a politician on probation for a criminal conviction to be a government minister.

He has much in common with Kevin McCarthy!

[epronovost]

Benjamin Netanyahu has made a first step backward recently. Sensing that his fragile coalition was being rocked by the recent protest he decided to delay of a couple of weeks this reform.