Wild Animals! “Democracy” – Netanyahu Speaks to the Protesters

 Wild Animals! “Democracy” Protesters Block MK’s Autistic Child, 8 Arrested

[…] Beginning early in the morning at about 6 a.m., groups of protesters tried to block some coalition members from leaving their homes to travel to the Knesset, including the chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Simcha Rothman, Education Minister Yoav Kisch and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter.

A group of protesters also sat outside the apartment of Likud MK Tali Gottlieb. When Gottlieb requested that they quiet down because her autistic daughter can’t tolerate noise, they refused to cooperate and told her she would be staying home today.The police dispersed the protesters and arrested two of them. Six other protesters were arrested outside the home of other MKs.

https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/2167404/wild-animals-democracy-protesters-block-mks-autistic-child-8-arrested.html

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Protest leaders are trampling Israeli democracy, not me, Netanyahu says

Netanyahu: Protest leaders speak of values but trample democracy

PM condemns protestors who blocked MKs from leaving their homes, including MK with child with special needs.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the behavior of certain members of the opposition and participants in the protests against the government's planned judicial reforms during the weekly Likud faction meeting Monday, calling their actions antidemocratic.

"In a democracy, the people vote in elections, and the people's representatives vote here in the Knesset. We call that democracy," Netanyahu said. "Unfortunately, the protest leaders are trampling on democracy. They do not accept the election results, they do not accept the decision of the majority, they do not condemn calls for the murder of the Prime Minister, and members of his family, they do not condemn calls to harm members of the Knesset. They block roads and call for civil disobedience, they shamelessly call for civil war and blood in the streets They threaten through bullying against MKs."

He criticized those protestors who attempted today to block coalition MKs from being able to reach the Knesset to vote on a bill which would change the makeup of the committee which selects Supreme Court justices. 

"We thought we had seen everything and this morning they reached a new low: this morning they tried to forcefully prevent MKs from leaving their homes and coming to the Knesset in order to exercise the most fundamental right to vote,"

Netanyahu singled out the protesters from the Block the Revolution organization who surrounded the apartment of MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) in Givat Shmuel, linking arms to block her from exiting. Police were called to the scene, ordering the demonstrators to disperse.

The prime minister said that MK Gotliv "has a daughter with special needs, and they tell her, 'You won't leave the house and your daughter won't leave the house.' These are the thugs who want to preach ethics to us?! Who sound so high and mighty when they talk about values, about the rights of the minority and the individual - while at the same time they trample to dust the rights of a girl with special needs and the rights of a public representative."

"I thank those in the opposition who condemned this terrible thing, and those who did not - shame on you. Did you fall on your head? What happened to you? Have you no shame? Did you lose it somewhere? Look how the protest leaders talk about democracy while in reality they trample on democracy," he said,

The prime minister also criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has barred him from any involvement or even speaking about the efforts to pass the judicial reforms due to a conflict of interest agreement Netanyahu signed with her predecessor, Avichai Mandelblit, which is related to his corruption trial.

“I’m told: Not only can’t you deal with the reform, but you can’t speak about it,” he said, asking: “How am I supposed to represent the [people who elected me]? Telepathically?”

"This is what the 'new Israeli democracy' looks like: the majority is not respected, they are not allowed to vote, they are not allowed to speak.

He demanded that the opposition enter into negotiations on the judicial reforms immediately, without preconditions: "Enough with this theater of the absurd. Enough with the talk of refusal, and enough with the refusal to talk. We already said six weeks ago: there is room for dialogue, there is no room for bullying. And I say today to the leaders of the opposition: stop the bullying, and start the dialogue. There is more than enough time to talk and there is a genuine willingness to talk here.''

According to Netanyahu, "There is more than enough time to try to reduce the gaps. There is more than enough time to try to reach agreements. There are quite a few senior representatives in the opposition - more than you, you - who have agreed to talk. But they are afraid of the bullies in their camp. I hope they will overcome this and find the leadership and responsibility that is required at this time."

"So today we will vote, and tomorrow I hope that the road to negotiations will be opened. In any case, one thing will not change: the people exercised their right to vote in the elections, and the people's representatives will exercise their right to vote here in the Israeli Knesset. That's what we call democracy,'' Netanyahu concluded.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/367731

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Leftists Declare Day of Rage, Blocking MK Rothman’s Way to Cast Preliminary Vote on Judicial Reform 

by David Israel 

Preventing lawmakers from voting is how they are saving democracy, apparently. https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/the-knesset/leftists-declare-day-of-rage-blocking-mk-rothmans-way-to-cast-preliminary-vote-on-judicial-reform/2023/02/20/