Lapid accuses Netanyahu of destroying Israel’s democracy, with Gantz’s backing

Addressing a protest in Tel Aviv, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid accuses Netanyahu of destroying Israeli democracy and his former ally Benny Gantz of enabling it to happen.

“They are fighting to get into the government,” his says of his former partner. “Telling themselves stories. They say, ‘We’ll fight from the inside.” You won’t fight from the inside. You don’t fight corruption from within. If you’re inside, you’re part of it.

“A person with indictments can’t appoint a police chief, a state prosecutor, an attorney general, the judges who will deal with his case. That is Netanyahu’s list of demands. Those that give in to those demands aren’t an opposing voice, they are just decoration…

“That’s how democracies die in the 21st century. They’re not wiped out by tanks overrunning parliament. They die from within. Five years ago, Turkey was still a functioning democracy. Four years ago, Hungary was still a democracy. They died from within. Because good people were silent and weak people surrendered.”

He vows he will “never surrender.”

As unity talks between Gantz and Netanyahu continue, Lapid derides the effort.

“The government being formed isn’t an emergency government or a national unity government. It is the fifth Netanyahu government. In the negotiations, they didn’t even talk about the coronavirus. They didn’t talk about the economy. They talked about themselves. About their jobs. Those who broke up Blue and White and defrauded us are going to sit under a man indicted for fraud. Those who breached our trust, are going to sit under a man indicted for breach of trust. Those who were bribed with jobs and perks, are going to sit under a man indicted for bribery.”

Netanyahu faces bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges in three cases.