U.S. Republicans' Project 2025 Is Already the Reality in Israel - Israel News - Haaretz.com
Project 2025 is the conservative movement's plan to fundamentally reform the U.S. government, if and when former President Donald Trump wins the presidential election this November. That currently seems like a likely scenario, in light of Joe Biden's decision to pull out of the presidential race and Trump's slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the polls.
Project 2025, put together by a host of conservative think tanks, is an outline for a comprehensive constitutional coup, far exceeding even the one attempted by the Israeli right-wing coalition. If it even partially comes to fruition, Israeli politicians like Yariv Levin, Simcha Rothman and Benjamin Netanyahu – the driving forces behind Israel's attempted judicial overhaul – will undoubtedly break out in tears of joy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu before departing for a U.S. visit, July 22, 2024.Credit: Amos Ben Gershom / GPO
Essentially, Project 2025 will transform the United States into an autocracy, putting all branches of government under direct presidential control, including the justice department and the FBI, as well as all governmental authorities. The plan is to remove all environmental regulation, cut all public healthcare programs and promote Christian values, such as a complete ban on abortion, overturning laws protecting social minorities from discrimination, and the expulsion of all illegal immigrants – authorizing the president to use the military to achieve these goals.
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Though Trump himself tweeted that Project 2025 does not have his blessing, this plan would give him the power to live up to his campaign pledges to imprison his political opponents and appoint cronies to government positions. Many of Project 2025's principles are to be found in Agenda47 – Trump's official policy platform for his presidential campaign. Pundits believe that Trump is distancing himself from Project 2025 out of immediate political considerations, but plans to lend it his support in due course.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 20, 2024.Credit: Tom Brenner/REUTERS
Israel, however, has not been waiting for Project 2025. The plan presented by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, as early as 2023, is the equivalent of a local sketch for the American project. It, too, includes the elimination of separation of powers and a weakening of the Supreme Court, a politicized civil service, breaking the gatekeepers and giving almost infinite power to the prime minister. Much like Project 2025, though of course with some differences, the Israeli plan includes the transformation of Israel into a religious, nationalistic state that pursues the expulsion of minorities and ignores the rights of the individual.
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Though some central components of the plan, such as overturning the reasonableness standard, have been blocked by the Supreme Court, Levin and Netanyahu's Project 23 continues – by other means. Levin has been paralyzing the Supreme Court by blocking appointments and not replacing retired justices, and is currently making the ombudsman of the judiciary into a political appointment.
Netanyahu wants to personally appoint the head of the Civil Service Commission. He already rules the country like an autocrat who makes all the major decisions by himself (or with his son and wife). All political parties fill the government departments with political appointees, in order to plunder the treasury.
Under pressure from ultra-Orthodox and religious parties, all of Israel is becoming religious and nationalistic. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is working to transform the police into a private militia to use as he sees fit, including violently. Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Shas leader Arye Dery and Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf did not wait for the United States to adopt Project 2025: Israel's rapid slide towards a nationalist fascistic regime began long ago, and was only slowed down by Israel's protest movement and the Biden administration.
Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir arrives surrounded by security to Jerusalem's Flag March, in May 2024.Credit: Naama Grinbaum
In certain aspects, Israel has already outpaced Project 2025, for example, in the war waged on media outlets critical of the government and the prime minister. In Israel, this was done by giving exemptions to the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, promoting right-wing media outlets and using political connections to harm journalists who criticize the government – such as last week's decision by Channel 13 to cancel the show of investigative journalist and outspoken Netanyahu critic Raviv Drucker. Most likely, this is only the beginning.
Good for Israel?
And what would happen in Israel when, instead of Biden, it's Trump who sits in the Oval Office, and the first document he opens is a 900-page tome entitled Project 2025? The American plan is not about Israel, but it is fairly clear that anything they do in America is something that the Netanyahu government will seek to do here. By then, the Netanyahu government will not be facing forces that block it, like Biden and the Democratic Party.
Eliminating the separation of powers? No problem. Full politicization of the civil service? This is just what we have been waiting for. Using the courts, the police and the military against political opponents, immigrants and minorities? Music to our ears. Mercilessly bombing civilian populations in Gaza and any other place? Our pleasure: They are usually neither Jews nor Christians.
Many in Israel believe that Trump will be a better president for Israel than Biden, and that, unlike him, he will not delay arms shipments or curtail operations in Gaza. This is a grave mistake. Firstly, because Trump is entirely unpredictable. Secondly, and more importantly: Under Trump's influence, the constitutional coup in Israel could accelerate, and the state will rapidly transform into an illiberal, almost fascistic autocracy, a hard and mean place to live in if you are not corrupt and have no direct links to the government.