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‘Patently ridiculous’: Netanyahu given gag order on judicial reform, but ‘you shouldn’t worry’

“I’d like to speak to you on it at length and to tell you why you shouldn’t worry. But for the moment, I’m prevented from doing that because I’ve been given a gag order,” the prime minister told U.S. Jewish leaders.

By World Israel News Staff

Addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Sunday evening at Jerusalem’s Inbal hotel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was given a gag order and could not elaborate on the topic of judicial reform.

For the past couple of months, the opposition has led demonstrations of tens of thousands of people across the country against the Netanyahu government’s plans for judicial reform, claiming that it would bring an end to democracy in Israel. The government coalition insists that the reforms are much needed in order to make Israel a more democratic country.

“I’d like to speak to you on it at length and to tell you why you shouldn’t worry. But for the moment, I’m prevented from doing that because I’ve been given a gag order,” Netanyahu told the conference.

“I’m not making this up. I’ve been given a gag order. After all, who am I? I’m just the Prime Minister of Israel. What have I got to say about this thing that is gripping  the nation? It is patently ridiculous,” he said.

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“I hope you notice the grotesqueness of the situation, including President Herzog and one of the leading members of the Opposition and calls for my intervention.”

No civil war

“So for the moment, I’d just like to say three things,” Netanyahu continued.

“First, Israel is a democracy and will remain a democracy, with majority rule and proper safeguards of civil liberties.  That’s the first thing.

“The second thing is all democracies should respect the will of other free peoples, just as we respect their democratic decisions.

“The third is that there’s been a lot of rhetoric that is frankly reckless and dangerous, including calls for bloodshed in the streets and calls for a civil war. It isn’t going to happen. There’s not going to be a civil war.”