Experts state that Netanyahu's aggressive and expansionist foreign policy has always stood as an obstacle before the Israeli High Court, while on the other hand, they express that the prime minister, facing weeks of citizen protests and opposition, will also be weakened internationally. Meanwhile, Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost notes that domestic political developments will not affect any of the foreign policy priorities, and points out that Israel, whose relations with Persian Gulf countries reached a turning point with the Abraham Accords about two years ago, is seeing peace with Saudi Arabia facilitated, and highlights the importance of China's mediation role.
Abraham Accords may facilitate peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia
Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost from the Political Science and International Relations English Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, evaluated the events that took place in Israel after the judicial reform initiative and Prime Minister Netanyahu's perspective.
Aharon Barak’s reforms increased judicial independence
Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost stated that since the 1990s, the power of the judiciary has steadily and significantly increased compared to the power of other institutions governing Israel, and said, “This level of increase in the power and influence of the judiciary was Aharon Barak's judicial revolution, who argued that due to the absence of a written constitution in Israel, judicial independence would be the sole guarantee for the implementation of civil rights and human rights in the country. Therefore, no important decision made by the government or any other state institution was outside the jurisdiction of the courts. This series of reforms by Aharon Barak, which we mentioned, not only increased judicial independence and support for the rights of minorities, including citizens of Arab origin, but also granted the Israeli High Court the authority to monitor all decisions and actions taken by the Israeli Armed Forces.”
Netanyahu’s policy constitutes an obstacle
Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost stated that Netanyahu's aggressive and expansionist foreign policy has always stood as one of the main obstacles before the Israeli High Court, and said, “Therefore, Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to further strengthen his militaristic and aggressive policy in the West Bank and the Middle East by weakening the Israeli legal system. Netanyahu's coalition government, consisting of ultra-Orthodox and far-right groups, even promised to expand settlements in the West Bank, increase the influence of Orthodox Jews over secular society, and even eliminate external threats to Israel, including Iran, by using military force. The current power of the High Court is certainly a very significant obstacle to his adventurous foreign policy.”
Domestic political developments will not affect foreign policy priorities
Khelghat-Doost noted that domestic political developments will not affect any of the foreign policy priorities, adding, “However, it is quite difficult to believe that the tactics Israel chooses to achieve its political objectives against its rivals and enemies will not be affected by the domestic political atmosphere. Actions such as actively opposing the JCPOA, which is still the West's preferred solution for Iran's nuclear program, or sabotaging Iran's nuclear program, will not be possible without gaining a certain level of public legitimacy.”
Protests will weaken Netanyahu’s hand
Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost stated, ‘Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions, directing society and politics towards a radical nationalism mixed with conservative religious values where accepted and most vital principles such as judicial independence are violated, significantly damages Israel’s international image,’ and continued:
“Furthermore, the prime minister, facing weeks of citizen protests and opposition, will also be weakened internationally. Particularly, Netanyahu's alliance with extremist forces whose ideas regarding governance and social freedoms are not accepted in many Western countries will deprive him of the diplomatic means necessary to achieve his foreign policy goals. All this comes at a time when Israel's strategy to isolate Iran has faced a major challenge in recent weeks. During this period, the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the increased likelihood of Iran significantly reducing tensions in the Persian Gulf region have become apparent.”
Abraham Accords can facilitate peace
Khelghat-Doost pointed out that Israel, whose relations with Persian Gulf countries reached a turning point with the Abraham Accords about two years ago, is now facing a new political structure in the region, involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, where many actors are trying to establish a new balance of power, and said, “It is known that Saudi Arabia is not part of the Abraham Accords. However, it is possible to say that the Riyadh administration has always had a lot of influence over some countries in the region, such as Bahrain. This power is seen to increasingly affect the relations of Middle Eastern countries. The resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is of great importance in the Middle East. An agreement like the Abraham Accords can affect both Israel's peace efforts with Arab countries and the region as a whole. Of course, this does not mean that relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia will worsen further, but it could facilitate Saudi Arabia's making peace with Israel.”
China's mediator role is of great importance
Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost finally said that attention should also be paid to China's mediating role between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and concluded his remarks as follows:
“While the United States shifts its focus to Asia, China is seeking ways to increase its influence in the Middle East. Furthermore, China has established close relations with Iran and Saudi Arabia and contributed to mediation efforts and negotiations between the two countries. China's increasing influence in the region could also have significant effects on its relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia. Although Saudi Arabia has always been a close ally of the US, in recent years it has been trying to expand its relations with other countries to reduce its dependence on the US. In this context, Saudi Arabia is seen to be striving to gain more power over the US by approaching China. In such a situation, the last thing Israel needs on the international stage is a prime minister accused of undermining the foundations of a free society by colluding with far-right groups, convicted of corruption, and not on good terms with democratic values.”