Protests against Israel's new government
Thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv last weekend to protest against the new Israeli government. The protesters are particularly angry about the plan to allow laws to be passed even if they are ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Government initiatives in the Israel-Palestine conflict have also provoked criticism. Commentators discuss the causes and necessary action.
Don't just look on
The West must not passively accept everything the new government does, Berlingske warns:
“Israel has formed the most extreme government in its history, with parties that demonstrably want to provoke renewed confrontations with the Palestinians and neighbouring Arab countries. ... We must accept the voters' decision and the fact that Netanyahu has formed the only government that was possible under the circumstances. But we must follow the developments closely and judge the government by what it actually does - and so far that doesn't look particularly good. ... The West has made major efforts to bring peace to the region. Netanyahu and his coalition have worked against this. This must not be accepted in silence.”
A foreseeable shift to the right
Israel is a different country after the formation of its new government, Upsala Nya Tidning comments:
“Israel's political orientation is largely an effect of demographic developments. The migration of Jews, for example from Russia and other Eastern European countries, has in itself caused a shift to the right and resulted in less understanding for the Palestinian issue. The same applies to the rapidly growing number of ultra-Orthodox Jews, simply because having 10 to 15 children in these families is not uncommon. The trend is not clear-cut. ... But it is a far cry from the Israel that for many years was defined by the Labour Party, kibbutzim and internationalisation.”