Netanyahu: Silencing officials and the public ‘is the end of democracy’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that with enemies surrounding Israel, “democracy protects resilience and stability.” He acknowledges that Israel is not a perfect democracy but says no democracy faces the challenges it does.

He says he would like “the language of argument” in the Knesset to be more measured than it is now. But he says he would prefer a raucous parliament than one in which officials can’t speak.

“To shut elected officials’ mouths, or to shut the mouths of the public through the media, is the end of democracy,” says Netanyahu.

“The public must decide,” he says. “And where does it decide? At the polls.”

Netanyahu says he is trying to reach compromises on the balance of power between the branches of government. For years, his government has embarked on a controversial judicial overhaul whose aim is to weaken the courts, which it says will allow the government to carry out the will of the electorate. Its critics call the measures a danger to Israeli democracy.

“There is the elected government, every branch has its role, and they all need gears that connect with the other branches,” he says.

But, quips Netanyahu, “there are those who think that the most dangerous thing in a democracy is democracy.”

“The biggest danger to democracy is cancelling out democracy,” Netanyahu says, saying checks and balances from bygone eras can be restored.