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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 14 June 2022
UK moves to rewrite Brexit rules; EU threatens legal action

By SYLVIA HUI and DANICA of Ireland, part of the EU.
KIRKA Britain and the EU agreed
LONDON (AP) — Britain's in their Brexit deal that the
government on Monday Irish land border would be
proposed new legislation kept free of customs posts
that would unilaterally re- and other checks because
write post-Brexit trade rules an open border is a key pil-
for Northern Ireland, de- lar of the peace process
spite opposition from some that ended decades of vi-
U.K. lawmakers and EU offi- olence in Northern Ireland.
cials who say the move vio- Instead, to protect the EU's
lates international law. single market, there are
The proposed bill seeks to checks on some goods,
remove customs checks such as meat and eggs,
on some goods entering entering Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland from the from the rest of the U.K.
rest of the U.K. That will But the arrangement has
override parts of the trade proved politically damag-
treaty that Prime Minister ing for Johnson because it
Boris Johnson signed with treats Northern Ireland dif-
the European Union less ferently from the rest of the
than two years ago. United Kingdom. Northern
Britain's government main- Demonstrators protest outside Hillsborough Castle, ahead of a visit by British Prime Minister Boris Ireland's Democratic Union-
tained its move is justified Johnson, in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, Monday, May, 16, 2022. ist Party has refused to re-
under international law Associated Press turn to the region's power-
because of the "genuinely sharing government until
exceptional situation," and President Maros Sefcovic. Union will react to this as and stability to Northern the protocol is scrapped or
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss In Ireland, Prime Minis- one and it has the whole Ireland. substantially changed.
blamed the EU for blocking ter Micheal Martin said it toolbox at its disposal." Arrangements for Northern The bill to override that ar-
a negotiated settlement. was "very regrettable for a Brushing aside criticism, Ireland — the only part of rangement is expected
The European Commission country like the U.K. to re- Johnson told reporters that the U.K. that shares a land to face opposition in Par-
said it could take legal ac- nege on an international the proposed change is border with an EU nation — liament, including from
tion against the U.K. treaty." German Chancel- "relatively simple to do." have proved the thorniest members of Johnson's own
Existing trade rules "pro- lor Olaf Scholz echoed the "Frankly, it's a relatively triv- issue in Britain's divorce from Conservative ranks. Critics
vide business operators in sentiment, saying there was ial set of adjustments in the the bloc, which became fi- say unilaterally changing
Northern Ireland with ac- "no reason" for the U.K. to grand scheme of things," nal at the end of 2020. At the protocol would be il-
cess to the EU single market make such a move. he told LBC Radio. the center of the dispute is legal and would damage
for goods. The U.K. govern- "It's a rejection of all the He argued that his govern- the Northern Ireland Proto- Britain's standing with other
ment's approach puts this agreements we reached ment's "higher and prior le- col, which now regulates countries because it's part
access — and related op- between the European gal commitment" is to the trade ties between North- of a treaty considered
portunities — at risk," said Union and Great Britain," 1998 Good Friday agree- ern Ireland, which is part of binding under international
European Commission Vice Scholz said. "The European ment that brought peace the U.K., and the Republic law.q
Israeli ruling coalition teeters as it marks year in office

JERUSALEM (AP) — A mem- that were largely referen- protections to Israeli settlers
ber of Israeli Prime Minister dums on longtime leader in the occupied West Bank.
Naftali Bennett's party said Benjamin Netanyahu's fit- Two members of the coali-
Monday he would cease ness to rule while on trial tion voted with the opposi-
voting with the governing for corruption. His coalition tion to defeat the bill, while
coalition, dealing yet an- ranges from dovish liberals several others abstained.
other blow to the teetering to hawkish ultranationalists In a statement, Orbach
government as it marks one and a small Islamist faction. said he had informed Ben-
year in office. Nir Orbach, a They are united in their op- nett he is "not part of the
lawmaker with the religious- position to Netanyahu but coalition." But he held out
nationalist Yemina party, have little else in common. hope the coalition might
was the latest member of Despite pledging to avoid somehow be rescued, say-
the ruling alliance to aban- dealing with key issues such ing he would not yet vote
don support in the Knesset, as Israel's policies concern- to dissolve parliament and
Israel's parliament. ing the Palestinians, the send the country to anoth-
A trickle of defections and coalition has struggled to er round of elections.
rebellions in recent weeks find common ground, and The embattled coalition Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett makes a call before voting
on a law on the legal status of Jewish settlers in the occupied
has left Bennett's coalition two of its members have can remain in power un- West Bank, during a session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in
of eight divergent parties bolted. Now the coalition til a majority of lawmak- Jerusalem, June 6, 2022.
without a clear majority and opposition each hold ers votes to either dissolve Associated Press
to pass legislation, raising 60 seats in the 120-member parliament or appoints a
questions about how long it parliament, making pass- different prime minister. ernment isn't perfect, but of the government's estab-
can survive. ing legislation difficult. Neither scenario appears the alternative isn't better." lishment that "this is the only
Bennett's government was Earlier this month parlia- imminent. His main ally, Foreign Minis- way to protect Israeli de-
sworn in last June after ment failed to pass a bill Bennett said in a speech at ter Yair Lapid, wrote on Twit- mocracy and the strength
four deadlocked elections that would extend legal the Knesset that "this gov- ter marking the anniversary of the state of Israel."q