Michael Bloomberg attacks Bernie Sanders (Photo: Reuters, Editing: Shaul Adam)
American Jewish billionaire and politician Michael Bloomberg published a column in the New York Times today (Sunday) in which he attacks the legal revolution led by the government in Israel.
Bloomberg refers in turn to the political, social and economic damage that he believes will be caused to Israel as a result of the move.
At the beginning of his remarks, Bloomberg mentions that he has always supported Israel, established a leadership center and hospitals here and contributed to local initiatives, but never interfered in the country's internal affairs.
However, he says, "My love for Israel, my respect for its citizens and concern for its future led me to raise my voice against the current government's attempt to actually destroy the country's independent judicial system."
Bloomberg takes an extremely harsh tone when he compares the Netanyahu government's move to the statement of former US President Richard Nixon: "When the president does it, it means it's not against the law."
According to him: "The Netanyahu government is leading to disaster by trying to claim such power, which will endanger Israel's alliances around the world, security in the region, its domestic economy and the very democracy on which the state was founded."
Netanyahu risks losing his economic achievements.
Michael Bloomberg at the Democratic Party convention, August 20, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)
He emphasizes the economic damage that is already felt, according to him, in the decline in the shekel's value.
He notes that many leading figures in the investment field have attacked the government's proposal, publicly and privately.
Regarding those who decided to withdraw their investments from Israel, he says: "As the owner of a global corporation, I don't blame them."
According to him, companies and investors place great emphasis on a strong and independent judicial system, because the courts help to protect them, "not only against crime and corruption, but also against excessive government intervention."
In addition, he says, the courts protect the individual rights and freedom of the workers.
The protection against discrimination based on beliefs and preferences has played, according to him, "a vital role in the development of the startup nation", so that it can be a competition to Silicon Valley and other technology centers.
He says that the strengthening of Israel's economic position in the last generation is perhaps "Netanyahu's greatest achievement", and in his opinion there has never been a prime minister who has done more to change the face of the Israeli economy and make it powerful." However, now "Mr. Netanyahu risks losing all this progress, and his legacy that he worked so hard for.
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He never interfered in Israel's internal affairs.
Bloomberg at a conference of Jewish organizations (Photo: Avshalom Sassooni)
He also refers to other aspects of harming Israel, such as the danger that its relations with the United States will weaken due to the change of the regime model in Israel in a way that imitates dictatorial countries.
The damage is so serious, according to him, that it may "jeopardize the very future of the Jewish homeland".
Bloomberg mentions that in 2014 the American Civil Aviation Authority banned flying to Israel, because of a Hamas rocket that landed near Israel. "I boarded the El Al flight without fearing any danger," he says. "I wanted to stand with Israel against Hamas." Netanyahu himself welcomed him When he arrived, he thanked him for his support. "Close friends united by shared values stand by each other in times of need, not only to support each other but also to emphasize their privilege to defend these values." This is the reason, according to him, that he is standing again for the same values now.
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Political-political
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United States
Michael Bloomberg
The legal revolution