BICOM

What happened: A new Knesset member from the Jewish Power faction, Zvika Fogel, spoke out harshly yesterday against leaders of the opposition Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, as well as former MKs Yair Golan and Moshe Yaalon.

• In an interview to Kan News Fogel said: “The four of them need to be arrested now. They’re the most dangerous people out there right now…..because they’re calling for war. If they were calling for demonstrations I’d give them every right to demonstrate. But they’re talking in terms of me as an enemy…From my perspective that’s treason against the homeland, if I wasn’t sufficiently clear. Yes, those are grounds for arrest.”
• His party colleague, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen later added, “If Lapid and Gantz don’t stop with their invective, incitement and their desire to shed blood in the streets of Israel—they’ll be arrested and handcuffed.”
• In response to rising tensions, President Herzog wrote on twitter yesterday: “The values of the Declaration of Independence act as the moral compass of our country – I will not let them be harmed. This is a sensitive time among the Israeli public. I hear the concerns being voiced from all directions, the cries, the worries and the fears.”
• He continued: “In recent days, I have been acting and holding discussions with many officials and doing everything in my ability to bring about a respectful dialogue, in hopes of reaching the broadest possible understandings.  I turn to you, the elected officials and citizens of Israel from all ranges of the public and political spectrum – practice restraint and responsibility. We need to calm the spirits and put out the flames.”
• Yesterday in Beer Sheva a man drove his car onto the pavement, shouting and threatening university students protesting against the government’s planned judicial reform. No one was injured and the driver was arrested by the police.
• Leader of the Opposition Lapid commented saying : “Netanyahu, in a democratic country you don’t run down citizens and the justice system.  You’ve become a weak prime minister who trembles in fear of his extremist partners. They’re scornful of you and are leading the State of Israel to collapse.”
• Later Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the president, telling him: “In a democratic country, one does not arrest the leaders of the opposition just as one does not call government ministers Nazis and a Jewish government the Third Reich. Neither does one call on citizens to launch a civil rebellion.”

Context: Less than two weeks after the new government was sworn in, there is already heighted concern among opposition groups over the anticipated legal reforms.

• The core arguments revolve around the right of a democratically elected government to rule without constraint or whether minority rights should be protected by intervention from the judiciary. For more details on proposed reforms.
• At the end of last week President Herzog held a long meeting with Justice Minister Levin in an effort to soften their planned reforms.
• Regarding Fogel’s comments, his party leader and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he does not support a call to arrest opposition leaders. He explained, “Fogel heard them inciting against the government and calling for civil dissent, calling us Nazis. That is why he reacted as he did.”
• There has also been a public dialogue about how the police should handle demonstrations. Ben Gvir has called for equal treatment of left and right wing protests, but said he supports “maximum free expression.”
• His concern over inequality is seen for example with the use of water cannons deployed by the police in Jerusalem against settlers or Ultra-orthodox, whilst left wing demonstrators in Tel Aviv are treated with “kid gloves”.
• Police have explained that the nature of disturbances are of a different magnitude.  A senior police officer told Channel 12 News that the difference is the crowd. He explained that in Tel Aviv, “When we talk to them, we agree that the demonstrators can protest. If a road is blocked, it will be for a set time.” In Jerusalem the demonstrators tell the police, “We won’t do what you ask. We’ll demonstrate as much as we want, whenever we want, and have no intention of listening to any of your instructions.”  That is when we immediately use force, said the senior officer.

Looking ahead: The Knesset will soon begin to debate the proposed legal reforms.

• Further demonstrations are expected this Saturday night. The police are intent on continuing to exercise restraint.
• There is a consensus that police show no tolerance for attacks on police officers and will not allow incitement, particularly the use of Nazi symbols (last week, a tiny minority held banners making comparisons between Nazism and the new government).  However the police also said that there is no law prohibiting the waving of Palestinian flags, (also seen at last week demo in Tel Aviv) as long as there is no incitement.