The head of Israel’s “State Camp,” Benny Gantz, cautioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday against disregarding the anticipated rulings of the Israeli Supreme Court regarding the appeal presented to it concerning the amendment recently passed by the Knesset.
The amendment aims to abolish the “reasonability clause” from the judicial system.
Gantz stated that if Netanyahu ignores the Supreme Court’s decisions, it will mean he is denying himself the legitimacy to remain in his position as Prime Minister.
He further emphasized that in any democratic country, a Prime Minister should respect the court’s rulings and act accordingly, regardless of any disagreements.
Gantz argued that if Netanyahu, like any other elected official, does not adhere to the court's ruling, it would amount to a coup that could fundamentally alter Israel’s system, consequently invalidating his legitimacy to stay in office.
This response from Gantz came as a rebuttal to Netanyahu’s evasion of a question during an interview with CNN about whether he commits to respecting the expected court decision on abolishing the “reasonability clause.”
Netanyahu refused to abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling if the “reasonability clause” law is canceled, expressing his hope that it would not come to that.
The Israeli Supreme Court has announced that it will hold hearings against the government’s amendment in September, after the summer parliamentary break.
Meanwhile, protests in Israel continued in opposition to the judicial amendments.
Thousands of protesters gathered on Thursday night in Tel Aviv to voice their dissent against what they perceive as a “threat to democracy.” These protests are expected to persist without interruption.
The Israeli police are preparing for potential escalation and are considering using crowd-dispersal measures, including tear gas.
For the first time since the protests began, the police have decided to elevate the level of measures available to officers in Tel Aviv for handling demonstrators.
In a statement, the police made it clear that there will be “zero tolerance” for protesters engaging in violence towards law enforcement officers.
