Far-left Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Yair Golan with PM Netanyahu, 2016; Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
A Knesset member (MK) of Israel’s new patriotic government has called for Israel-hating leftist politicians to be arrested for “treason” because they are “talking about civil war”. A far-left former MK called for “a large-scale civil uprising.” Returning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a softening of public discourse.
Yesterday, MK Tzvika Fogel of the Jewish Strength (Otzma Yehudit) party called for opposition MKs Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Yair Golan, and Moshe Ya’alon to be arrested for “treason.” “These four need to be arrested. They are the most dangerous people out there right now,” Fogel told Kan News on Tuesday evening.
“They are not talking about a demonstration, not about flags or anything else. They are now talking about civil war and calling for war. If they were calling for a demonstration, I would grant them the right to demonstrate. But they treat me as an enemy. This is treason against the state and this is grounds for arrest,” Fogel said, according to Arutz Sheva.
At a press conference with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the statement “unfortunate”, “I completely deny it.” Netanyahu also called on the opposition to desist from radical attacks on Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who wants to defang the leftist Supreme Court, which has usurped power over the other branches of government.
Netanyahu called on both sides to tone down their rhetoric. “I would like to calm the public discourse. The state will not be destroyed, democracy will not be destroyed, the essence of democracy is more than the balance between the three branches of government and, of course, majority rule is the respect of individual rights. The essence of democracy is that debates, including the one we are having today, are not held with bullets, they are actually decided at the polling stations and decided by votes in the Knesset or the Parliament.”
Former MK Yair Golan of the left-wing Meretz Party has called for “rebellion” and “blocking roads”, tweeting on Tuesday, “My friends, against this evil government there is only one method to be used, and that is a widescale public rebellion. The destruction of the judiciary, unlimited political appointments, permitting the haredim to do whatever they please using our tax money … why should we agree to this? Why should we allow this to rain down on our heads, to hit our pockets, to affect our lives? We will never agree to this.” Calling Netanyahu’s government “malicious and evil,” Golan said that the only to fight against it is “a large-scale civil uprising.”
Knesset member Ariel Kallner (Likud) filed charges against Golan for incitement, and tweeted: “It is inconceivable that threats will replace discussions! The Israel Police must show zero tolerance towards calls for rebellion against the elected government and explicit threats that it not carry out the policies it is committed to. I call on the leaders of the left to come to their senses and show responsibility. The path of incitement is not a substitute for the dialogue and discussion that we are starting these days in the Knesset. It will not succeed either.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has accused Justice Minister Yariv Levin of “extreme regime change”, “canceling the Declaration of Independence”, and “cutting Israel off from the family of liberal countries” for trying to stop the lawfare practiced by leftist judges against Benjamin Netanyahu and other conservative politicians.
“This is not fixing democracy, this is destroying democracy. A country where the government is allowed to do anything is not a democracy,” Lapid said. “A country that eliminates all checks and balances on the government is not a democracy. Politicians will appoint submissive judges who will do what they are told. The judges will be the judges of the government. Any judge who agrees to be humiliated by the fact that this is his appointment process is from the beginning a servant of the government,” Lapid said.
Soros-funded New israel Fund has taken credit for far-left street protests against the new government, Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported. “The New Israel Fund assisted with a special grant to the many civil society organizations that took part in the production of the huge demonstration on Saturday night in Tel Aviv,” an email quoted by Channel 14 stated. (Operatiosn arm) “Shatil from the New Israel Fund took part in coordinating and synchronizing the various parties that participated in the show of force,” it continued. PLO flags and Nazi symbols were seen among the 10.000 far-left protesters on Saturday in Tel Aviv.
Channel 14 described the email as “precedent-setting,” as the New Israel Fund generally keeps a low profile and “works behind the scenes.”
The organization announced an emergency grant to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) to conduct a digital campaign including the production of short films to explain the meaning of the policies the new Netanyahu-led government intends to institute.
Right-wing leader Ben-Gvir has not shied away from accusing former Prime Ministers Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz of “inciting the county”, while clarifying he was not calling for their arrest.
Watch: Is Ben-Gvir trying to arrest opposition leaders?