The Knesset yesterday voted against two bills calling for the establishment of an Israeli constitutional court. One bill, sponsored by MK Eliezer Cohen (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu), was defeated 56-39 with 4 abstentions, while another, proposed by MK Yigal Bibi (National Religious Party), was voted down by a 59-37 count, with 3 abstentions. Had the bills passed, the new court would have become the top authority in the country on constitutional issues in place of the Supreme Court.
The defeat of the bills was a victory for High Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak. MK Yigal Bibi (National Religious Party) accused Barak of \"blackmailing politicians\" to vote down the bills. Bibi said that in a properly run country the Supreme Court would not intervene in parliamentary matters.
Among those who voted in favor of establishing the court were Shas party MKs, as well as Ministers Benny Elon (National Union Party) and Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu Party). In a letter to the Likud Central Committee, Lieberman accused Likud ministers who opposed the bills of forming an \"unholy alliance\" with Arab MKs on this issue.
Lieberman also wrote that Likud ministers spend their time trying to win favor in the eyes of the political left. Lieberman advised the central committee members to dump all of the party\'s current ministers including Prime Minister Sharon from the next election ticket.
Most of Lieberman\'s letter was devoted to criticizing Chief Justice Barak for the \"pressure and threats\" that he put on every Knesset member that entered the plenum. Lieberman wrote that he had the feeling some MKs were voting against the bill \"in the belief that the Supreme Court president [Barak] would know how to repay them.\"
National Religious Party (NRP) Minister Shaul Yahalom told Arutz 7 today that it is a tragedy how the Supreme Court is overstepping its jurisdiction by getting involved in Knesset matters. Yahalom was disappointed that the bill was rejected and explained that the formation of a constitutional court would have given a voice to all of the different types of people living in Israel. He noted, for example, that currently there are no observant Jews on the Supreme Court. He asked, \"What would the Israeli left think if all of the judges on the court were observant.\" \"If that were the case,\" he said, \"I am sure that they would want their views expressed through the type of constitutional court that I envisioned being formed today.\"
MK Cohen said that he plans to reintroduce similar bills again in six months.
The defeat of the bills was a victory for High Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak. MK Yigal Bibi (National Religious Party) accused Barak of \"blackmailing politicians\" to vote down the bills. Bibi said that in a properly run country the Supreme Court would not intervene in parliamentary matters.
Among those who voted in favor of establishing the court were Shas party MKs, as well as Ministers Benny Elon (National Union Party) and Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu Party). In a letter to the Likud Central Committee, Lieberman accused Likud ministers who opposed the bills of forming an \"unholy alliance\" with Arab MKs on this issue.
Lieberman also wrote that Likud ministers spend their time trying to win favor in the eyes of the political left. Lieberman advised the central committee members to dump all of the party\'s current ministers including Prime Minister Sharon from the next election ticket.
Most of Lieberman\'s letter was devoted to criticizing Chief Justice Barak for the \"pressure and threats\" that he put on every Knesset member that entered the plenum. Lieberman wrote that he had the feeling some MKs were voting against the bill \"in the belief that the Supreme Court president [Barak] would know how to repay them.\"
National Religious Party (NRP) Minister Shaul Yahalom told Arutz 7 today that it is a tragedy how the Supreme Court is overstepping its jurisdiction by getting involved in Knesset matters. Yahalom was disappointed that the bill was rejected and explained that the formation of a constitutional court would have given a voice to all of the different types of people living in Israel. He noted, for example, that currently there are no observant Jews on the Supreme Court. He asked, \"What would the Israeli left think if all of the judges on the court were observant.\" \"If that were the case,\" he said, \"I am sure that they would want their views expressed through the type of constitutional court that I envisioned being formed today.\"
MK Cohen said that he plans to reintroduce similar bills again in six months.