Photo: Menahem Kahana / AP
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid spoke at a protest rally in Tel Aviv, sharply criticising the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. According to him, the government is deliberately pushing the country towards internal division and civil strife. This was reported by The Times Of Israel.
Lapid emphasised that the opposition would not allow such a scenario to materialise. “We are fighting to save the country and will not allow it to be destroyed,” he said. The politician accused the current government of using the rhetoric of unity as a tool of pressure to silence critics. However, according to him, these methods no longer work.
Lapid paid special attention to the issue of the government’s legitimacy. He warned that if the government ignores court rulings, such as a possible ban on the dismissal of Shabak head Ronen Bar, it will lose all legitimacy and turn into a “criminal regime”. In this case, the politician is convinced, the country must stop: “Everything must stop, except the national security system.” Lapid called for a mass protest that would cover all spheres of life – from the economy and parliament to courts, schools and local authorities. He even suggested the possibility of a tax revolt as a last resort.
“The economy must strike, the Knesset must strike, the courts must strike, local authorities must strike, not only universities but also schools. If we can organise a tax revolt, we will do it. We will not be complicit in the destruction of democracy,” Lapid said. At the same time, he stressed that the opposition opposes any refusal to serve in the army, but supports protests against the destruction of democratic institutions.
Lapid’s speech was yet another indication of the escalating political crisis in Israel, where the struggle between the government and the opposition is becoming increasingly acute. His words reflect the sentiments of a significant part of society, which fears the loss of democratic principles amid the actions of the current government.
