Lapid: ‘We are not on the brink of the abyss, we are in the abyss’

By Sam Sokol 29 July 2024, 10:56 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. 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"

Ultranationalists protest against the detention of Israeli reserve soldiers suspected of assaulting a Hamas terrorist, at the Beit Lid military base near Beersheba, July 29, 2024. (Chen Leopold/ Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says, “We are not on the brink of the abyss, we are in the abyss,” after ultranationalist protesters today invaded two military bases together with Knesset lawmakers.

“All the red lines were crossed today. MKs and ministers who participated in the invasion of violent militias into military bases constitute a message to the State of Israel: they are done with democracy, they are done with the rule of law,” he says in a statement.

Israeli soldiers and police clash with far-right protesters, after they broke into the Beit Lid army base over the detention for questioning of military reservists who are suspected of abuse of a Palestinian terror suspect detained there, on July 29, 2024 (Oren Ziv / AFP)

“A dangerous fascist group threatens the existence of the State of Israel. They are the best thing that happened to [Gaza ruler Yahya] Sinwar and [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah. If we don’t stand up to them, the country will fall apart. If Netanyahu does not fire the ministers who participated in these violent raids today, he is not fit to represent the State of Israel,” the statement reads.