This ruling is a result of an appeal made eight months ago. Eight months ago the Supreme Court ordered the freeze of an existing private prison project until a decision is made. The decision accepted today is a majority of eight to one is of constitutional importance and this is final: There will be no private prisons in Israel.

The basic reasoning given is that it is wrong for a private, profit-oriented enterprise to have the power over basic human rights. As inefficient as a state-owned organization may be, human rights come higher on the priority list.

This issue has been subject to public debate for the past five years for its constitutional, legal and social implications. The debate started following an amendment 28 to the Prison Order passed by the Kenest in 2004. This amendment allows the state to transfer a prison to a private business operator.

Work towards the opening of the first private prison in Israel took place while an appeal was outstanding at the Supreme Court. The appeal was jointly submitted by the Human Rights Division of the Ramat-Gan Law Academy, Shlomo Twiser, a former Major General in the Israel Prison Service and Yadin Machnes, a former prisoner. In their appeal they aimed to  have the court cancel the amendment, which for the first time in the history of Israel, permits the state to transfer a prison into the hands of businesspeople with an evident motivation for profit. The appeal argued that this harms the sovereignty of the state, conflicts with the democratic principle of separation of authorities as well as hurting basic privileges protected under the existing law for human rights.

The judgment was made and the appeal was accepted. The state lost and will have to continue filling its duties without compromising people’s lives to politician and clerks’ convenience and to their “friends” wealth.

The officials who were pushing for the private prison were very eager. Not waiting for the results of the appeal, and a new prison facility was built, accumulating a cost of $250 million to date. The state of Israel is now facing high compensation to those investors for expenses made and probably lost revenues. So it seems that the politicians’ friends will not go away empty-handed after all. Only that we citizens are paying for this stupidity and irresponsibility.

It is another small achievement protecting the citizens from their elected politicians and wealthy friends.

Israel is not alone. Inefficiencies and government-wealth connections are part of democratic systems all over the world. Nevertheless, this is an example that democracy should and can be guarded by the citizens, and there is a good reason to monitor and questions and deeds of those who we elect.

I encourage you to respond with similar stories from your country.

Isaac Mendelson, Israel

Beit Sohar

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The policy for the water sector, particularly in the past decade, combined with the absence of adequate action facing the impending water shortage situation, has contributed to the severity of the present crisis.

Kineret, Sea of Galilee

Sunset on the Sea of Galilee

Jordan River – another water source

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The exhibition was organized by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which together with the East Jerusalem Development Company, views it as the first of many other changing archaeological exhibitions that will be presented in the compound.

The coins, which were uncovered in the numerous excavations there and are on display in the exhibition, are a living tangible testimony of Jerusalem’s rich history and it being a focus of pilgrimage for thousand years. Among the many artifacts on display are a rare collection of 2,000 year old coins that were burnt during the Great Revolt by the Jews (in which the Second Temple was destroyed), unique coins that were minted in Jerusalem during this period, as well as those that were found in different excavations in the region and have a wide geographic provenance (from Persia, via North Africa and as far France), a fact that attests to the centrality of Jerusalem for all of the people who visited it thousands of years ago while leaving behind a “souvenir” in the area. Another interesting aspect presented in the exhibition is the difference between the Jewish coins and the rest of the coins. Contrary to pagan coins, the ruler was usually not depicted on Jewish coins due to the Jewish abstention from portraying images (“You shall not make for yourself a graven image or likeness of anything…”). For that reason, a variety of inanimate symbols, such as a wreath, scepter and helmet, appear on many Jewish coins.

Davidson Coin

Oreus Tacitus
Ethrod Burnt Hoard

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