‘Get a grip’: Netanyahu says opposition heads ‘purposely pushing Israel to anarchy’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses opposition heads of “purposely pushing the country to anarchy” in a short video statement published after a turbulent day that has seen some 90,000 people protest in Jerusalem, as well as scuffles and shouting matches in the Knesset.

“The opposition is going wild in the Knesset and its lawmakers are jumping on chairs, [Tel Aviv Mayor] Ron Huldai is expressly inciting violence, and in the left-wing protest they are calling the prime minister a traitor,” he says.

“Get a grip. Show responsibility and leadership,” he tells opposition leaders, adding: “Most citizens of Israel don’t want anarchy. They want discourse that is focused, and in the end, they want unity.”

The latter part could be understood as a nod to President Isaac Herzog’s call yesterday for dialogue on a potential compromise on the government’s deeply controversial judicial overhaul plan.