An unusual statement these days by senior Likud officials against the background of the legal reform legislation and the strong opposition to it in the public.
As published in Israel Hayom, the officials say: "Quite a few senior ministers in Likud think that the legislation should be stopped for a limited time to allow an attempt at negotiations. There is a feeling that the event is out of control. Our advocacy is not good, even right-wing and center-right people who supported changes in the judicial system, already They are really starting to think that this is an extreme step. Our responsibility is to calm down."
In the meantime, even before the president's proposal to the parties to sit down and talk about an outline for the legal reform, in a statement he made yesterday afternoon together with the leaders of the opposition, the chairman of the opposition, the head of the Yesh Atid faction, Yair Lapid, called on the Likud members whom he identified as those who could help in the fight to stop the reform - not to allow it pass in the first vote in the Knesset.
Lapid in an unusual turn, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"What the government wants to bring to the Knesset is not a first reading, but a tearing apart of the people of Israel, of Israeli democracy, of common life," he pleaded.
"If this legislation passes, the democratic chapter in the country's life is over."
To the ministers and members of Knesset who are considered to be "vacillating" on this issue in Likud - Avi Dichter, Yuli Edelstein, Yoav Galant, Nir Barkat, Israel Katz, Danny Danon and David Bitan - Lapid said, among other things: "Even if you support the reform of the judicial system, you know the truth: Not like that. Not for these reasons, not for these motives. Not in a way that would turn the State of Israel into an undemocratic state and tear the people of Israel in two.
"It's a struggle between good and evil, it's a struggle between Zionism and the dismantling of the Israeli partnership. For the sake of our children, we must not lose in this struggle. Don't let it happen. Instead of them doing destructive politics on your back, you will make history."
Regarding President Herzog's statement, he said that he was not happy with every word of the outline presented by the President, "But none of us has the right to ignore it. We will go to the President's house and start talking there that will save the people of Israel."
Danon responded to Lapid's words and tweeted on his Twitter account: "The responsibility is also on your side."
Do not fuel the protest
We will recall that Prime Minister Netanyahu asked on Sunday at the meeting of the heads of the coalition factions to calm down the statements and not to create storms that would fuel the protest.
Netanyahu asked the leaders of the coalition parties to convey this message to the members of the Knesset in the various factions.
asked to calm down.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
At yesterday's Constitutional Committee meeting, leaders of factions in Likud asked the party's Knesset members not to react in an extreme manner to the shouts of the opposition in the committee.
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