Shas chairman Aryeh Deri this week condemned the opposition for making false claims that the reform of the judicial system will harm Israel’s economy.

Speaking at a Shas party meeting, Deri said: “It doesn’t happen to me all the time that I quote Yair Lapid. He said in the past: ‘Be an opposition to the government but don’t be an opposition to the state.’ I say to him and his friends: Okay, you’re in the opposition. The public had its say. This is democracy, accept it with respect. Fight the government, don’t destroy the State of Israel.”

“You’re now carrying out actions like the worst of our enemies, the BDS and their friends in the world – which harm Israel, the economy and the status of the state.”

“I haven’t heard any argument yet why [Justice Minister] Yariv Levin’s reforms harm the economy. I actually hear other statements – too much legal involvement harms the economy. I heard claims that the reforms harm academic freedom – I have no idea why. I only know that due to excessive legal involvement – some of the Chareidi public who want to obtain a master’s degree and more advanced degrees don’t do it because due to legal intervention, they can’t study separately.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)