In his first public appearance since being released from the hospital, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at the weekly Cabinet meeting that was postponed to Monday morning.
Netanyahu first referred to his health, saying: “I want to thank many citizens and leaders around the world and also across the political spectrum in Israel for their concern and kind words. I thank you all. I feel great.”
He then spoke about the current advancement in the Knesset to amend the reasonableness clause, which the left is using as its current excuse for its tantrums against the elected government. “I say here and now: the State of Israel was and always will be democratic. The amendment of the reasonableness clause, which has been supported by senior legal experts, will strengthen democracy. The claim that democracy will collapse due to the amendment of the reasonableness clause is disconnected from reality and its entire purpose is to frighten the public.”
Netanyahu also illustrated the absurdity of anarchists’ threats of refusal due to “the crushing of democracy.”
“In a democracy, the army is subordinate to the government – in a military regime, the government is subordinate to the army. This is the difference between a democracy and a military regime. Refusal is contrary to democracy and the law. This is true in any democracy, but in our democracy, incitement to refusal directly endangers the security of all Israeli citizens. It erodes deterrence against our enemies and undermines army discipline.”
“It’s unfathomable that a group in the army threatens the elected government. ‘If you don’t do as you wish, we’ll erode security.’ No democratic country can accept such a dictate. Such a dictate is the destruction of democracy.”
“I will repeat: Refusal endangers the security of all citizens of Israel. The government will act against it and take all necessary steps to ensure our security and our future.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Kol Hakavod!
If only he also held this opinion rather than in a surprise decision during his interview with the Wall Street Journalist when he suddenly backed down two weeks ago, this anarchist behavior would possibly never have developed. They would have understood, like it or not, this will become law. But, he did back down which made them see his weakness and they capitalized on it.