From the Liveblog of
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Lapid, at rally, urges tax rebellion, general strike if government defies ruling of High Court
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is “doing everything to start a civil war here, Netanyahu is openly pushing for it,” declares Opposition Leader Yair Lapid during a protest at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square this evening.
“We will not let it happen. We will fight for the country, but we will not let them destroy the country. They use the word ‘unity’ to silence us. It will not work for them. Silence in the face of a destructive government is not unity,” Lapid states — promising to oppose the government every time it crosses “red lines.”
“If the October 7 government decides not to obey the court’s ruling, it will turn itself that day, that moment, into a criminal government,” he adds, referring to statements by senior ministers promising to defy the High Court of Justice if it blocks the cabinet’s unanimous decision on Thursday night to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security service.
“If that happens, the entire country must stop. The only system that is not allowed to stop is the security system. We will oppose any kind of refusal, but apart from that – everything,” Lapid insists.
“The economy needs to strike, the Knesset needs to strike, the courts need to strike, the local authorities need to strike, not only the universities need to strike, but also the schools. If we can organize a tax revolt, we will organize a tax revolt. We will not be accomplices in the destruction of democracy.”
