At his cabinet meeting Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared: “We will not accept anarchy. Some are calling for the blocking of highways, for refusal, for blood in the streets, and to attack public figures. We will not accept this. We will not accept violence – by any side.”
The PM was responding to recent public comments by former officials from every branch of the government that suggested that in a conflict between the supreme court and the government, the army, police, and the rest of the security forces must obey the court.
Obviously, this would be the definition of tyranny, and so Netanyahu cautioned: “I expect the Inspector General and the police to enforce the law, to prevent violence and the blocking of roads, and to allow the daily life of the citizens of the country. I expect the Shin Bet and the State Attorney’s Office to take determined action against those who incite to murder ministers and MKs, and the Prime Minister and his family, without turning a blind eye, without cutting slack, and without cutting corners. I expect the IDF Chief-of-Staff and the heads of the security services to vigorously fight against refusal to serve. There is no place for refusal to serve in the public discourse. A state that values life cannot tolerate such phenomena and we will not tolerate them.
“Instead of incitement and calls to anarchy, instead of the awareness engineering by the propaganda channels, there needs to be a genuine, substantive, and fair discussion of the judicial reform. The foundation of democracy is the balance between the three authorities: The legislative, the executive, and the judicial. This balance has been overturned in Israel in recent decades in a way that has not happened in any democracy in the world.
“Therefore, today there is broad agreement on the need to restore the necessary balance, as existed in the country for almost 50 years. It is for this purpose that we were elected – and this is what we will do. We will do so with consideration and responsibility in a way that preserves the rights of every citizen of Israel – secular and religious, women, LGBTQ, minorities, everyone without exception.”
