Nir Barkat
@NirBarkat · Israeli government & coalition
Nir Barkat is Israel's Economy Minister, a former two-term mayor of Jerusalem, and a successful tech entrepreneur before entering politics.
With the multitudes of the people of Israel at Selichot last night at the Western Wall. A powerful and moving occasion anew every year.
Translated from HebrewA momentous thing has happened in Israel! For the first time, I succeeded in breaking the bureaucracy’s absolute protection in the "deep state" from dismissal. Yesterday, the High Court ruled unanimously in an expanded panel of five justices, thanks to me as a minister, that I may act with the aim of dismissing the Competition Commissioner! The precedent-setting ruling completely eliminated the attorney general’s veto over the dismissal process, sharply criticized her conduct, and ordered the dismissal proceedings to move forward! The justices unequivocally determined that "no provision was found in the law granting the commissioner substantive authority to choose whether or not to convene the appointments committee at a minister’s request," and criticized the legal counsel’s attempt to take powers for itself that do not belong to it. Justice Solberg even held up a piercing mirror to the attorney general’s conduct when he warned of the "democratic deficit" that had been created, and ruled: "An elected official was prevented from acting lawfully... delayed justice is justice denied." For about three years, I have been fighting to dismiss the head of the Competition Authority, who failed grievously in the fight against monopolies. The bleak picture revealed in the legal proceeding I conducted against the attorney general and the deep state is that over the course of decades, out of approximately 1,000 senior officials in the leading cadre of the civil service, not a single official was dismissed for poor performance or for failing to implement an elected official’s policy! We lived in an absurd reality in which deep-state officials enjoyed complete immunity, were not accountable to elected officials, but only to those who legally protected them from dismissal. No more. This ruling is a milestone for generations, and represents a dramatic change in the rules of the game in the State of Israel: from today on, deep-state officials understand that they must answer to elected officials. The era of automatic protection is over. I will continue to fight fearlessly to return control and power to elected officials, as most of the people demand!
Translated from HebrewContinuing to open doors around the world for the Israeli economy! I held a final briefing with a delegation from my ministry that departed for the United States to continue negotiations on a free trade agreement. I am proud of the employees of the Foreign Trade Administration who work around the clock to advance our economy. During this term, we have already signed trade agreements with Vietnam and Costa Rica, a framework free trade agreement with India, an agricultural trade agreement with the United States, and broken the all-time export record
Translated from HebrewI congratulate the new additions to the Likud list for the Knesset. The Likud is the home of the national camp, and together with our excellent team, we will work for victory in the elections.
Translated from HebrewThe fighters of Force 100 and the entire country continue to pay the heavy price to this day for the enormous damage the military advocate general caused during wartime. It is unacceptable that the person whose criminal conduct harmed IDF soldiers and the State of Israel should receive benefits and grants from the state treasury.
Translated from HebrewThank you from the bottom of my heart for the support in the face of Channel 12 News’ attempt to eliminate me in the primaries
Translated from HebrewChannel 12 News is trying to take me out in the primaries. I need your support. Shabbat Shalom
Translated from HebrewA term of breaking records in industry too! I’m proud to have led the Ministry of Economy and Industry to an all-time record in the planning and marketing of industrial areas. We reached an unprecedented volume of 8,500 dunams planned over the past year—four times the annual average. Breaking this record lays a significant economic foundation for the years ahead: it will enable the establishment of approximately 1,000 new factories and create approximately 100,000 quality jobs in the south, north, Judea and Samaria, and the center.
Translated from HebrewThank you to the fighters of Force 100 for the backup and support
Translated from HebrewNo putsch and no ouster. Period. I support Prime Minister Netanyahu until victory! Watch the interview tonight on The Patriots.
Translated from Hebrew