'Horrible arguments': Netanyahu inadvertently criticizes overhaul supporters

Swiftly deleted tweet by PM’s account also blasts judiciary as ‘a tower of speculations and a self-congratulatory pat on the back’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday posted and swiftly deleted a tweet criticizing, seemingly inadvertently, his own government’s judicial overhaul policies.

The account posted a video of the prime minister and his wife landing in Cyprus for a visit Sunday, alongside text poking fun at the “horrible arguments of the regime coup supporters.” It also poked fun at opponents of the judicial overhaul by referring to the judiciary as a “tower of speculation and a self-congratulatory pat on the back stuck together with chewing gum.”

The tweet was quickly removed, with sources in the Prime Minister’s Office blaming it on a “human error by a dedicated employee” and adding that it was “deleted after a second and a half.”

Israel has been racked by mass protests for the past eight months over the judicial overhaul policies of the coalition government led by Netanyahu, with no compromise between the government and opposition parties in sight.

Critics of the government’s plan say it marks a revolutionary change in Israel’s governance, essentially removing the ability of the Supreme Court to act as a check on the governing coalition. This could move Israel from a liberal democracy to another system of governance, experts say.

In addition to highlighting the alleged danger it poses to liberal democratic institutions, the rule of law and protections for civil liberties, critics also point to economic, diplomatic and legal repercussions, already signaled by professionals and international leaders.

Supporters of the overhaul have dismissed mass protests and calls to freeze the legislative drive. Those backing the package of legislation underpinning the plan say it is necessary to “rebalance” power away from an activist judiciary toward the people’s elected representatives, and that doing so will “strengthen democracy.” They also say that many in their camp do not identify with the court, long seen as a bastion of liberalism, and want to bring more social and ideological diversity to its ranks.