National Union member chosen to panel for appointing judges
Here's an interesting report on how Uri Ariel, a member of the National Union party in Israel, has been elected to the Knesset's committee for appointing judges:
(IsraelNN.com) In a close and secret vote, the Knesset voted MKs David Rotem (Israel Our Home) and Uri Ariel (National Union) as its representatives on the Committee for the Appointment of Judges.I wasn't happy with how the National Union conducted an election campaign that had little to no constructivity in it, but I do applaud them for electing Ariel to the panel. I just hope that he's going to be doing a dedicated job here, and that he'll be altruistic.
Rotem, who chairs the Knesset Law Committee, was a foregone favorite to win one of the two slots - while Ariel was a surprise winner for the "opposition" slot. Ariel's race against Bar-On was the subject of great tension, with some Likud members saying they would vote for Bar-On - despite Bar-On's centrist-left orientation. In the event, Ariel received 59 votes, one more than Bar-On's 58.
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MK Ariel, a former mayor of Beit El, has had some criticism of the legal system, including what he feels is its overly-active judicial activism, lack of proportionate representation among justices for minorities, and sluggishness in hearing and deciding cases. He criticized the Supreme Court judges for not visiting Gush Katif before ratifying the Knesset's Disengagement laws.
MK Ariel is also among those who feel that land disputes, such as those brought by Arabs and the Peace Now organization against Jewish neighborhoods in Judea and Samaria, should not be decided by the Supreme Court, but rather by lower courts, as are other disputes between neighbors.
