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Netanyahu tries to appease the opposition: "In a democracy, decisive debates are at the ballot box" | Israel today

2023-01-11T19:37:53.051Z


During the press conference in which the Prime Minister unveiled his government's economic plan, he also referred to the political tensions and concerns about the fate of democracy.


Trying to calm the height of the flames:

during the press conference where Prime Minister Netanyahu announced today (Wednesday) his government's economic plan, he referred to the tensions in recent days with the opposition against the background of his government's initiatives.

"I would like to calm the public discourse, the state will not be destroyed, democracy will not be destroyed," Netanyahu addressed the center-left bloc.

"The essence of democracy is beyond the balance between the three authorities, and of course majority rule means respect for individual rights. The essence of democracy is that debates are made neither with bullets nor with bullets, they are actually decided at the polling stations and decided by votes in the Knesset."

"We can disagree, in a democracy we don't agree. But we must also define the limits of the discourse," Netanyahu asked.

"So I want to say what I said yesterday and I repeat it: in a democracy the leaders of the opposition are not arrested, and in a democracy the opposition does not call the ministers of the government Nazis and the government that has now been elected with the majority of the votes of the Third Reich.

"You need to relax, and above all - understand that there is no permit for violence, there is no permit for blocking roads and there are no other things that intrude on the rights of each and every citizen," clarified the Prime Minister.

"In a democracy, you don't arrest the leaders of the opposition", Netanyahu goes against the calls against Lapid and Gantz (archive), photo: Amos Ben Gershom, PM

Since the government was sworn in, the opposition has fiercely attacked the initiatives of the new coalition in the fields of law, economy and religion. 

Last Saturday thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv against the new government.

The demonstrators protested against Justice Minister Yariv Levin's reform of the judicial system and also against the government's policy on the issues of the LGBT community and state religion. The demonstrators gathered in the Hamima Square and marched towards the Tel Aviv Museum Square.

Yesterday the bar of statements rose even more when members of Otzma Yehudit called for the arrest of the leaders of the opposition on the grounds that they were inciting civil unrest.

Hours after MK Zvika Fogel of Otzma Yehudit called for "arresting Gantz and Lapid for treason," his faction partner, MK Almog Cohen, also said that "if the two don't stop the harassment - they will be arrested in handcuffs."

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Source: israelhayom

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