In Israel, democracy still holds

By BRET STEPHENS

Even Israel’s vehement critics might pause and marvel at what ordinary Israelis achieved this week.

After weeks of mounting demonstrations against the government’s judicial-reform bills, hundreds of thousands took to the streets Sunday night — proportionally, as if millions of Americans were on the march — when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would fire his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for backing away from the legislation.

The demonstrators were joined by labor unions, who went on a nationwide strike that shut down the country’s main airport; and by diplomats, who shut down Israeli consulates and embassies; and by at least some reservists, who threatened to refuse call-up orders. This was as close to a revolution as the modern state of Israel has ever seen.

On Monday, Netanyahu blinked, saying he would postpone the legislation to “take a timeout for dialogue.” In a better world — or a younger Israel — he would have resigned. As a matter of politics, he turned what should have been an electoral mandate for stability, security and economic growth into a fiasco for his own partisans. As a matter of statesmanship, he brought Israel to the brink of disaster for the apparent sake of his personal legal expediency and the ideological fixations of some of his criminal, extremist, lowlife coalition partners.

Still, he blinked.

That deserves a measure of respect. Yes, it isn’t clear whether he means to have a genuine dialogue with the opposition or merely maneuver for tactical political advantage, and Israelis should be wary of every word he utters and every step he takes.

But it’s more than can be said for President Emmanuel Macron of France, who defied huge public protests and his own parliament to enact his controversial pension reforms. Or for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, who rammed through legislation to gut the country’s electoral institutions, also over huge protests. Or for a certain former U.S. president, who incited a mob to overturn the results of a democratic election.

If Israel’s democracy is to be judged, let it at least be judged against other democracies. By that standard, it may be in better health than is sometimes believed.

This is true in at least three respects.

First, Israel’s demonstrators were not against the status quo or “the system.” On the contrary, they came out to defend it. At every protest, marchers waved Israeli flags. I have seen no reports of serious property damage or physical injury, much less of death. The government and its allies have tried to dismiss the demonstrators as “leftists.” It’s a preposterous claim when critics of the judicial reforms include right-wing former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and a dozen former National Security Council chiefs, such as former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen and others who served directly under Netanyahu.

In other words, this was a revolt of the political center against the fringe — showing that the former is far more vital and energized than it is elsewhere in the democratic world.

Second, principled opponents of the government will often concede that there is a reasonable case to be made in favor of some type of judicial reform. The Israeli Supreme Court is unusually powerful, and it is legitimate in any democracy to question and sometimes move the boundary lines among executive, legislative and judicial powers. Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and one of the leaders of the political opposition, has noted that “a majority of Israeli citizens, at least 80%, agree on 80% of the issues” in terms of the reforms.

So there’s ample room for compromise. With broad consultation and a clearer process, court restructuring could win broad support. But Netanyahu’s efforts will never escape the taint of partisanship and self-dealing if he continues to grab for the ability to overturn court decisions with the slimmest parliamentary majority while potentially appointing judges in his own corruption trial.

Third, Israelis appreciate that their physical security rests less on their military power than on social trust; that even bitter political rivals must recognize each other as comrades in arms. Netanyahu acknowledged as much when he warned last week that the refusal of reservists to serve put the state itself in “terrible danger.” A Jewish state that loses the trust of half of its citizens — particularly the wealthier, more secular and more globally mobile half — will do itself in even before its enemies do.

Most Israelis, who grow up with the understanding that their country’s margin of safety is unusually narrow, know this; it’s only opportunists and fanatics who forget. This week, the demonstrators reminded them that raw majoritarianism puts everyone at risk.

On Sunday, Israeli writer Amotz Asa-El of the Shalom Hartman Institute pointed out to me that ancient Israel endured 12 civil wars, beginning with the war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel (Judges 1921) and ending with the fighting among the Jewish militias in Jerusalem during the Great Revolt against the Romans. “That’s an average of roughly one war every four generations,” he said.

In May, Israel will turn 75 — three generations, at least. It’s too soon to celebrate a victory, but the Israelis who have taken to the streets may have spared their country from repeating that history.

Por El Star Staff

E L CAPITOLIO – El portavoz del Partido Nuevo Progresista en la Cámara de Representantes, Carlos ‘Johnny’ Méndez, solicitó a la delegación del Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) la evaluación y aprobación del Proyecto de la Cámara 1645, el cual implementa marcadas reducciones contributivas a la clase trabajadora y las pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes) en Puerto Rico.

“Reiteramos nuestro pedido a la delegación del partido popular en la Asamblea Legislativa para que atienda, con carácter de urgencia, el P de la C 1645, el cual establece una serie de reducción contributivas que aliviará la carga de los hogares trabajadores en Puerto Rico, así como las Pymes. Con esta medida le damos verdaderos alivios a la gente. No hay razón para que no se evalúe y apruebe en esta sesión, ninguna”, dijo Méndez.

El proyecto fue radicado el 28 de febrero de este año y desde el 7 de marzo se encuentra en la Comisión de Hacienda y Presupuesto de la Cámara Baja.

De acuerdo con lo establecido en la medida, los hogares con ingresos, sean individuales o combinados, entre $41,500 hasta $61,500, verán una reducción a una tasa de 24 por ciento. Mientras que desde los hogares con ingresos entre $61,500 a $81,500, entran también en la nueva tasa de 24, ampliando así la base de la baja en contribuciones.

El proyecto también mantiene los descuentos de 5 y 3 por ciento establecidos en las leyes 257-2018 y 402020, respectivamente, para contribuyentes con ingresos de $100,000

Desalojan estudiantes tras incendio forestal en Camuy

barrio Puente del municipio de Camuy.

o menos.

Durante su Mensaje de Situación de Estado, el gobernador, Pedro Pierluisi, también pidió la aprobación de esa medida.

“El pasado cuatrienio (20172020) nosotros bajamos la carga contributiva, eliminamos el ‘B2B’ (impuesto del 2015 en transacciones entre comerciantes y comerciantes, así como de servicios profesionales), eliminamos la dañina patente nacional. Aprobamos la eliminación del impuesto al inventario, así como restituimos el bono de los seniors para hacerle justicia a nuestros retirados. Ahora tenemos el proyecto de ley que apoya ese esfuerzo con reducción reales para la gente, no hay razón para detenerlo”, añadió el expresidente cameral.

Méndez ha estado abogando por “serias” reducciones contributivas desde hace varios meses ante la realidad fiscal y económica de Puerto Rico.

CAMUY – Personal de Manejo de Emergencia del municipio de Camuy y del Negociado de Bomberos de Camuy, Hatillo y Quebradillas, trabajan el miércoles para extinguir un fuego detrás de la Escuela Superior Felipe Crespo de la carretera PR- 486 del

Según ila Uniformada, ocurrió un incendio forestar detrás de la escuela superior en la tarde, por lo que tuvieron que desalojar a los estudiantes del plantel escolar para prevenir alguna complicación de inhalación de humo.

Al momento nadie ha resultado afectado.

Municipio de Cataño paga $451 mil del “enfermito” a 257 empleados

CATAÑO – El alcalde del Municipio Autónomo de Cataño, Julio Alicea Vasallo, anunció el pago de $451,492.48 por concepto de las licencias por enfermedad acumuladas en exceso a 257 empleados municipales.

Siempre que la situación fiscal lo permita, el Código Municipal de Puerto Rico faculta a los organismos municipales, mediante ordenanza, a pagar el balance en exceso a los 90 días laborables al finalizar cualquier año natural.

“Con este pago cumplimos con nuestro com- promiso de reconocer el trabajo de los servidores públicos municipales, luego de haber tenido un año de disciplina fiscal que permite al municipio efectuar este pago de manera responsable”, indicó el alcalde Alicea Vasallo en declaraciones escritas.

En cumplimiento de la reglamentación vigente, el Municipio de Cataño incluyó una partida en su presupuesto del año fiscal 2023 para el pago de licencias por enfermedad acumuladas en exceso.

La nómina, que fue desembolsada el 10 de febrero, benefició a todos los empleados cualificados para recibirlo.

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