Lapid warns against far-right coalition
Prime Minister Yair Lapid has warned that 'the end of democracy' is no longer a threat, but rather 'the election promise' of Netanyahu.
With seven days until Israelis head to the polls, Prime Minister Yair Lapid warned on Tuesday that Israeli democracy will face a serious threat if his political rivals come to power and implement a wide-sweeping agenda of judicial reforms.
Addressing a conference hosted by the Movement for Quality Government in Tel Aviv, Lapid argued that “this time it is not a threat” that the “end of democracy” may be around the corner, but rather “the election promise” of Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right Religious Zionism-Otzma Yehudit party.
Netanyahu returned fire by accusing Lapid of a host of anti-democratic moves, while Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich said that he respects democracy.
Smotrich recently published a broad judicial reform plan that would enable politicians to veto Supreme Court rulings on legislation, change the ways judges are selected, split the Attorney-General’s powers and eliminate the criminal charge of “fraud and breach of trust” – a charge that forms the base of three of Netanyahu’s four ongoing corruption trials.
The Likud party has said that cancelling the charge will not retroactively apply to Netanyahu’s cases, though the legal ramifications for existing cases are not currently clear.
While both Smotrich and his far-right ally Itamar Ben Gvir have tempered their at-times fiery language in recent months, Lapid said that their alliance’s platform remains extreme.
“This is the plan they published – to have a dark, racist and extremist country here, without any legal restrictions,” the Prime Minister said.
“If that happens, God forbid, I don’t know exactly what Israel will be, but it will no longer be the only democracy in the Middle East. It will no longer be a democracy at all.
“Those who insist on not taking them seriously, bury their heads in the sand. They mean every word they say.”
Lapid on Tuesday also visited the Arab city of Nazareth, where he met with some 20 Arab municipal leaders, urging Arab Israelis to vote for the sake of their own communities.
Lapid said that if Arab Israelis do not vote, “they need to understand that what was given in the past year will be taken from them,” according to a statement from his office.
Lapid was suggesting that pledges by the current government, which includes the Arab Ra’am party, would be reversed if the opposition right-wing religious bloc wins the vote.
“You’re voting for your lives,” Lapid said. “You are voting on the question of what resources you as heads of authorities will receive in the coming years.”
Arab turnout on election day is predicted to be low. But with the prospect of a razor-thin majority for a winner or potential ongoing deadlock between Netanyahu’s supporters and opposers, their vote could be decisive.
Last week Lapid told Arab Israeli media that he intends to amend the contentious Nation-State Law – which enshrines Israel as “the national home of the Jewish people” – if he retains the premiership.
Critics argue the law contravenes the basis of Israel’s legal system, as well as its Declaration of Independence, and solidifies inequality among its citizens.
Lapid also discussed other issues high on the list of priorities for Arab voters, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Temple Mount and rampant gang violence in Arab communities.
He reminded the outlets that he had voted against the Nation-State Law in 2018, and committed to adding a clause dedicated to equality between all citizens of Israel.
“The Nation-State Law as it is written today is an insult to Israeli citizens that are not Jewish and it needs to be corrected,” he said.
TIMES OF ISRAEL
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