1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Bunjelung Kalgoton woman from Gadighal Country. The Daily oz acknowledges 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Strait island and nations. We pay our respects to the 6 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present. 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: Good morning, and welcome to the Daily os It's Thursday, 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: the twenty seventh of July. I'm Sam Kazlowski, I'm Zara Seidler. 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 2: Protests and strikes have continued in Israel this week in 10 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 2: response to legal reforms that will limit the powers of 11 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 2: its Supreme Court to hear the anger on the streets. 12 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 2: The vote in the Israeli Parliament just taking place. The 13 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: reform passed despite fierce opposition both in the parliament and 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 2: in the street. So what will these changes mean and 15 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: what's led to this point? We'll let you know in 16 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: today's deep dive. If at first, Sarah, we had some 17 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 2: new inflation figures yesterday. 18 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 3: Inflation appears to be slowing. According to the latest inflation figures, 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: with a six percent rise in prices in the twelve 20 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 3: months to June. New data from the Australian Bureau of 21 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 3: Statistics found prices from April to June row zero point 22 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 3: eight percent, the lowest increase in almost two years. The 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 3: data comes a week from the Reserve Bank's next meeting, 24 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 3: with the board set to discuss changes to the national 25 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 3: cash rate. 26 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 2: A criminal defense lawyer has been shot outside his Sydney 27 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: home following a spate of recent alleged organized crime incidents 28 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 2: across the city. Mahmoud Abbas was attacked on Wednesday morning 29 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 2: by an unknown person in Greenacre, the same suburb where 30 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 2: three people were shot in their cars on Sunday. A 31 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: bus was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition. 32 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 3: The Australian Federal Court has find social media company Meta 33 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 3: twenty million dollars for breaches of consumer law. Two ten 34 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 3: million dollar penalties were handed to two subsidiaries of Meta, 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 3: which owns Facebook, Instagram and more recently Threads. The court 36 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 3: found the subsidiaries failed to disclose that personal data would 37 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 3: be shared with Meta rather than just the subsidiaries. 38 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 2: And today's good news, Louise Taylor has become Australia's first 39 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: female first nation's Supreme Court. Judge Taylor, who is a 40 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 2: Camillaroy woman, was appointed to the Act Supreme Court on 41 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 2: Tuesday as the territory's sixth judge. On Tuesday, we woke 42 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 2: up to the news that a highly controversial bill to 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 2: limit the powers of Israel's Supreme Court had pass Parliament. 44 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 2: The passing of the bill led to protests and strikes 45 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 2: which threatened to bring the whole country to a standstill. 46 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: It really did, and I think the images and the 47 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 3: videos that we've seen out of Israel are quite remarkable. 48 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 3: And I think often when we're talking about foreign governments 49 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 3: and we're talking about the political systems and here the 50 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: judicial systems that operate in other countries, we sometimes need 51 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 3: to take a couple steps back to actually understand the 52 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 3: root of the issue. So can you just take me 53 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 3: through what I need to know about how the government 54 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 3: and the Supreme Court actually works in Israel. 55 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 2: So Israel's government is formed by whoever controls its single 56 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 2: chamber of Parliament. So it's different to Australia, where we've 57 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 2: got an upper house and a lower house. In Israel, 58 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 2: there's just one house and it's called the Knesset. Usually 59 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 2: a government is formed by an alliance of parties and 60 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: it's led by a Prime Minister. Israel does also have 61 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: a Supreme Court which can review and strike down laws, 62 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 2: and that's similar to the US Supreme Court in the 63 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: way it functions. One of the key things through a 64 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: member here is that the Kannesset has less limitations on 65 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,119 Speaker 2: it than we're used to here in Australia, and that's 66 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: really for a few reasons. Firstly, Israel doesn't have a 67 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: constitution to definitively set out the Kannesset's powers. And then 68 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 2: if we think about in an Australian context, we have 69 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 2: a constitution which can only be changed by a referendum, 70 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 2: which we're going to be asked to do later this year. 71 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: But in Israel, the governing structures and individual rights are 72 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: set out by laws called the basic Laws, so they're 73 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 2: kind of pseudo constitutional laws, but the Knesset can change them. 74 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: The other thing to remember is that point about there 75 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 2: only being one house of the Knesset, and that means 76 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: there's no Senate like we have here in Australia, which 77 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: acts as an extra step to passing legislation. Now, since 78 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 2: the nineties, when there was an update to the basic laws. 79 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 2: The Supreme Court has assumed a more active role in 80 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: reviewing and sometimes even striking down laws deemed to violate 81 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: those basic laws. 82 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 3: So basically what a Senate would do in another. 83 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: Situation exactly, And that has drawn anger from Conservatives who 84 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: have formed a belief that judges are biased against them. 85 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 3: You just touched on the political context at the end, 86 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 3: they're by mentioning the Conservatives. And I mean, for someone 87 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 3: that is watching Israel from a fard, is very difficult 88 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 3: to keep track of who is in power because there 89 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 3: have been a number of leadership shifts over the last. 90 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 2: Couple of years. 91 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 3: The current Prime Minister is Benjamin Netanyahu, and he is 92 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 3: the leader of the government. What do we need to 93 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 3: know about him? 94 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: So Nanya, who is a right wing leader. And while 95 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 2: he's previously governed in alliance with center parties, this current 96 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: alliance he's formed includes far right extremists. 97 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 3: Just take me through what you mean by alliance there. 98 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: So remember I said before that the Knesset is controlled 99 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 2: by coalition and the head of that coalition is the 100 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: Prime Minister. Because of how splintered Israel's political landscape is, 101 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 2: it often takes you know, five six even seven parties 102 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 2: to make a coalition, not like the coalition we have 103 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 2: here in Australia of just two. Yeah, so the makeup 104 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: of that coalition really does impact the politics of the day, okay. 105 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 3: And so what you're saying is this current coalition or 106 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 3: this current alliance swings more to the right exactly. 107 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: And it's a fairly new composition of an Israeli parliament. 108 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: It was established after the reelection of Nanna who as 109 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 2: Prime minister only last year. So for context, this is 110 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: Nanya Who's sixth time in the role of prime minister. 111 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: But in the last few years, you know, at the 112 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 2: end of Nanya Who's twelve year term in twenty twenty one, 113 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 2: then an election and Nnya Who's return to power in 114 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: twenty twenty two, there's been a particularly unstable climate in 115 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: Israeli politics. Nanya who ended his time as prime minister 116 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: after two years of political deadlock, and the government that 117 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 2: replaced him struggled to form a coalition and was then 118 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 2: forced to dissolve after less than a year in power. 119 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 3: I feel like we could dedicate a whole podcast to 120 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 3: talking about that. It is so complex, and we know 121 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: that Israelis went to the ballot box so many times 122 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 3: in such a short period of time, but it all 123 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 3: led to Natanyahu then being reelected. 124 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 2: It takes the idea of a hung parliament to a 125 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 2: whole other level. The other important thing to know about 126 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 2: Nnyahu is that for the last few years he has 127 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 2: been working through the justice system himself facing charges of corruption. 128 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 1: Tonight, Israeli leader Benjamin Netnahu was facing the fight of 129 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: his political life as his corruption trial gets underway. 130 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 2: His reinstatement to office and a number of key early 131 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: policies have led to an escalation of tension between Conservatives 132 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: and the Supreme Court. 133 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: Now. 134 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 2: In particular, the Supreme Court has opposed policies like the 135 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: expansion into Palestinian occupied territories and military service exemptions for 136 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 2: ultra Orthodox Jewish Israelis. 137 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 3: You mentioned that there were some tensions between conservatives and 138 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 3: the judiciary. What did those tensions actually look like. 139 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 2: When Nyaho formed his government, he and his Justice minister 140 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: proposed effectively eliminating the Court's review powers. They proposed changes 141 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 2: which would allow the Knesset to pass laws without having 142 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: them reviewed by the Court. They also wanted the government 143 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: to have control over Supreme Court appointments and proposed limits 144 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 2: on the Supreme Court's ability to remove a PM. 145 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 3: Okay, So those were the proposals that were introduced when 146 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 3: Netanyahu was re elected last year. How are those proposals received? 147 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 2: At the time, there was some really vocal opposition to 148 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 2: the move. There was an argument from critics that the 149 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 2: proposed legislation would remove the checks and balances currently in 150 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 2: place in the Israeli court system, and essentially a fear 151 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 2: that there could be absolute power handed to the government 152 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 2: of the day that would jeopardize the rights of individuals. 153 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 2: That's where we saw some vision of mass protests back 154 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 2: around the kind of March April period, especially in Tel Aviv, 155 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 2: which is one of Israel's largest cities. 156 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: Protesters blocked roads and scuffled with police in Tel Aviv 157 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: on Wednesday morning. Incensed by a controversial plan to overhaul 158 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: the Israeli judicial system. 159 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 2: Protesters were calling for the planned reforms to be scrapped 160 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 2: and for Nenyahu to resign, a call supported by his 161 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 2: political rivals, but also from some top officials in military spaces, 162 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: medical spaces, legal systems, and in business. At one point, 163 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 2: Israel's economy minister said that while the reform was necessary, 164 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 2: it shouldn't come at the prime of civil war, after 165 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 2: a period of unrest which saw the Shekel, which is 166 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 2: the Israeli currency falter Nanna, who put a pause on 167 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: this push for reform up until this. 168 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 3: Week, So that brings us to now, Then why are 169 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:13,319 Speaker 3: we talking about it today. 170 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 2: Well, there was a version of those original reforms that 171 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 2: passed this week, and it was only part of the 172 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 2: reforms that the government initially proposed, but still enough to 173 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 2: concern some Israeli people. It's being called the Reasonableness Bill 174 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 2: because it limits the Supreme Court's ability to void decisions 175 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 2: it considers unreasonable. The bill was put to Parliament and 176 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 2: it passed sixty four to zero. Really, well, it's not 177 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 2: quite what it seems. The Kanesset needs a majority of 178 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: sixty one to pass legislation, but many opposition MPs walked 179 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 2: out of the session in protest and declines to vote, 180 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 2: with some shouting for shame as they left the chamber. 181 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 2: In an address, Nanna, who said this was not the 182 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,959 Speaker 2: end of democracy and that the courts would remain independent. 183 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 3: There was obvious a lot of heat in parliament. I 184 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 3: mean there is in many parliaments but what's been remarkable 185 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 3: has been the number of protesters that have actually taken 186 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 3: to the streets in response to this legislation. 187 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: We're talking hundreds of thousands here who took to the 188 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 2: streets across the country after the bill passed. Police dispelled 189 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 2: crowds with water cannons and gas, and there have been 190 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: arrests made. Doctors went on strike, with the Israeli Medical 191 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:29,359 Speaker 2: Association saying judicial overhaul would quote devastate the healthcare system. 192 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 2: The White House Press Secretary Kareein John Pierre said the 193 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 2: reform was unfortunate. 194 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 3: Okay, so clearly there is some discontent here. What happens next, I. 195 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 2: Don't think anyone really knows for sure, But there are 196 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 2: some more steps in this judicial reform due to be 197 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: voted on in the coming months. Although Nanyahu's head, he 198 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 2: is open to compromise and some delays to those other 199 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 2: elements of the reforms, and just to refresher those are 200 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 2: things like giving the Knessette the ability to have more 201 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: control over who becomes a Supreme Court judge. It'll be 202 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 2: really interesting to see if the sheer volume of protesters 203 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 2: hitting the streets actually moves the course of judicial reform 204 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 2: that's planned for the next few months, or if indeed 205 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 2: the agenda will go ahead. 206 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 3: Thanks for joining us today on the Daily Oz. If 207 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 3: you enjoyed what you listen to, please let us know 208 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 3: by leaving us to a review on Spotify. We have 209 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 3: absolutely loved reading your feedback. If you are on Spotify, 210 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 3: you can just leave a message in that little question box, 211 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 3: and that's how we know how to shape the rest 212 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 3: of the week's content. Have a great day.