Ex-military chief at Knesset protest: Gov’t ‘declaring war’ on Israel’s character and values

Former IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz tells the protest that the goal of the current “battle” against the government’s judicial overhaul program is to maintain “a strong, independent judiciary.”

“The government is declaring war against the character and values of the State of Israel,” says Halutz, “we won’t let this happen.”

“We won’t give in to those who didn’t wear on their bodies IDF uniforms,” the former military chief says, referring to several religious coalition members pushing the reforms who never served in the military.

Saying that this a fight between “the people,” a coalition of “corrupt” politicians and “messianic MKs from the factory of Kohelet,” a right-wing think tank tied to drafting the reforms, Halutz says that “we won’t let the darkness descend upon us.”

Rallying against the coalition’s intention to increase political power at the expense of the Supreme Court, LGBTQ community leader Hila Pe’er says that she will “not be shut up.”

“They really think that we’ll be quiet when they’re trying to destroy the only body that protects us?,” says Pe’er.

“The year is 2023 and we’re not going anywhere but forward, and that scares them,” she adds, leading the crowd in chants of “democracy!”