Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on motzei Shabbos to participate in a protest against efforts to pass an immunity law that would provide a legal shield against prosecution for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other elected officials for as long as they are serving in office. Netanyahu is expected to face criminal indictments in a number of police investigations against him.
Protestors shouted that they can only be one law for all citizens, including elected officials, and efforts to pass an immunity bill are unacceptable.
The rally was a show of force by the new opposition parties a month after Netanyahu was re-elected to his fourth successive term as prime minister.
Yair Lapid of Israel’s Blue and White party compared Netanyahu’s efforts to consolidate his power to Turkey’s authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Lapid stated “No, no, no, no, no – we will not permit them to destroy our country!”
“Bibi, listen to the crowd. We will not permit you. We won’t let you be Erdogan. We won’t have a Turkish dictator. We won’t allow it,” Laid said, addressing Netanyahu.
“We also say you will not be permitted to destroy the country. This is our country also. We will not permit you. We will not permit you to destroy the Supreme Court. You are not above the law. We will not permit you to be a tyrant.”
Lapid, whose words were echoed in the address by Blue and White party leader MK Benny Gantz, stating “What does his think, that we will sit by quietly? That he will destroy the Supreme Court and we will remain silent? That he will pay billions of our money to Litzman and Smotrich so they will provide him immunity? A halachic state in exchange for immunity? Blackmail for immunity? We will not permit!”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
I did not hear or read the Lapid speech, but based on the portions reported above, nothing in it was “unhinged.” Maybe it is the YWN headline writer who is “unhinged”.
Actually, the headline writer is a bit unhinged. Such a law granting immunity to politicians while they are in office reeks of the authoritarian powers exercised by Erdogan, Putin and other despots around the world. On this point, ALL Israelis should be united against such a power grab.
I am not sure why you call him deranged; As much as i don;t like what Lapid stands for, it does appear that Bibi is trying to pass a law to exonerate him ; Is that something you support?
HE IS CRAZY
The reason elected officials have immunity is because the law and legal process can be hijacked to stifle political foes, that is why, for example, in a country called USA, you cannot indite a sitting president till after impeachment. So no, it isnt dictatorial to say there should be immunity for certain crimes while an elected official is governing.
@chash: maybe not dictatorial, but for sure very fishy for Bibi to propose this law now, that he is being investigated
and for sure not unhinged for Lapid to protest this law
Even if he wasn’t the evil guy he is, I would never vote for such an angry red face