An Otzma Yehudit MK on Tuesday called for the leaders of the opposition to be arrested following their call for “a large-scale civil uprising” and “to take to the streets” against the Netanyahu government and its planned judicial reforms.

On Tuesday, opposition head Yair Lapid and National Unity chairman Benny Gantz accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of “crushing democracy” and Gantz called for the public to “take to the streets” and accused Netanyahu of “spurring a civil war.” Former Meretz MK Yair Golan called for a “large-scale civil uprising” and former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Bogie Ya’alon called on police officers to refuse National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s orders to the police to treat protesters in Tel Aviv the same way they are treated in Jerusalem.

Otzma Yehudit MK Tzvika Fogel, the chairman of the Knesset’s Internal Security Committee, told Kan News on Tuesday evening that “Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Yair Golan and Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon must be arrested. They’re the most dangerous people out there right now.”

“They’re not talking about a demonstration, nor flags or anything else. They’re now talking about a civil war and calling for war. If they were calling for a protest, I would grant them the right to protest. But they’re treating me like an enemy. This is treason against the homeland and it is grounds for arrest.”

Later, another Otzma Yehudit MK, Almog Cohen, told Channel 13 News that he’s opposed to Fogel’s call for the leaders of the opposition to be arrested, adding: “I think his words were said in the heat of the moment. At the same time, I say clearly, the responsibility on their shoulders is very great. They must be instructed to stop the incitement and the desire to spill blood on the streets of the State of Israel and it must be stressed to them that if they don’t do this – they’ll be arrested with handcuffs.”

“I’m in favor of protests,” Cohen stressed. “Freedom of expression is a supreme value. At the same time, in the last few days – by the way, not only me but also in the security system – groups are beginning to be identified that are calling for a civil uprising. Most of the people in the left-wing camp are just as Zionistic as as I am – distance these groups that want to burn the streets.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening disavowed Fogel’s words in a conversation with President Issac Herzog, saying: “In a democratic country, you don’t arrest the leaders of the opposition, just as you don’t call government ministers Nazis, you don’t call the Jewish government the Third Reich and don’t call on citizens to publicly uprise [against the government].”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also disavowed his party members’ words, saying that a different discourse should be created in the media. “I understand everyone regarding the incitement and uprising against us. But don’t go in the direction of ‘arresting Lapid and Gantz’ – no way. Say that they’re inciting but we don’t want them arrested or the police arresting political opponents and don’t intend to do such a thing.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)