“Netanyahu is a clear and present danger to Israel’s existence,” warned Yesh Atid MK Michal Shir on Monday in response to the comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his way to the United States.
Before boarding an El Al flight to America, Netanyahu said that Israelis planning to protest against him in California and the United Nations General Assembly were “aligning with the PLO and Iran.”
His office later released a clarification, saying that he was referring to the fact that “while Israel’s prime minister will represent the State of Israel in the UN, Israeli citizens will protest alongside PLO and BDS supporters.”
In response to Netanyahu’s statement, Israel’s politicians argued over whether Israelis protesting against Netanyahu in the US are enemies of the state or patriots abroad.
“He who cooperates with supporters of Jewish terrorism compares pilots and hi-tech people to PLO and Iran,” Shir continued. “It wasn’t protestors who called [former Palestinian Authority president Yasser] Arafat a friend and partner; it wasn’t them who funded Hamas, nor were they crushing Israel. Netanyahu is the best partner for Israel’s haters. He’s doing their work for them.”
Other opposition MKs expressed similar sentiments, claiming the protesters were patriots, not enemies.
National Unity leader Benny Gantz, who had earlier wished Netanyahu luck on his trip and had pledged support from the opposition on “anything related to the nation’s security and strategic interests,” strongly condemned Netanyahu’s comment.
“Netanyahu’s attack while accusing protestors in the US of joining our enemies is severe and must be condemned,” he said. “Even if you disagree with the method, these patriots love the country. Even 1,000 flame-carving speeches at the UN cannot repair Netanyahu’s great damage to Israeli society. It’s time to stop the judicial overhaul and restore order to the government instead of blaming protestors.”
Lapid: ‘Netanyahu destroyed our image’
Opposition leader Yair Lapid aimed the same accusation at Netanyahu’s government.
“No one has destroyed our image to the world more than Netanyahu in the last few months,” he said. “Nothing helps the Iranians more than his government’s judicial overhaul. His accusations against the protest’s patriots further prove the severe confusion in his common sense and ability to read reality.”
Labor leader Merav Michaeli accused Netanyahu of incitement against protestors and the Left, which she said he has been doing for 30 years.
“Yesterday, Netanyahu, the national inciter, did to the protest what he has been doing to the Left for 30 years now,” she said. “De-legitimization and comparison to the worst of Israel’s enemies. The time has come for the opposition to understand that this man isn’t legitimate to partner or negotiate with.”
Meanwhile, National Unity MK Ze’ev Elkin said that while he disagrees with Israelis protesting against the prime minister abroad, Netanyahu’s comment was “shocking and has no place, especially not about patriots.”
Likud leaders come to PM’s rescue
However, members of his party and coalition said they aligned more with Netanyahu.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich agreed with Netanyahu’s statement that the protestors were crossing a red line.
“Once we had [respect for the] state,” he said. “It was clear that we could argue and protest at home, but everyone backs him up when the prime minister goes on a trip to represent Israel abroad. The protestors abroad are indeed BDS activists who harm Israel, and the support they get from [Benny] Gantz and [Yair] Lapid proves that they have crossed all the red lines.”
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also said that the protestors were crossing a red line.
“Even when we were in the opposition, we never spoke out against Israel in the world,” he said. “The protests against Netanyahu abroad and the slander against the country in the world are crossing a red line, and they are not legitimate. Unsurprisingly, it comes from those who call for refusal to serve and taking funds out of the country and are thus working to damage Israel’s security and economy.”
Likud MK Tally Gotliv also backed up the prime minister’s statement and criticized his office for the clarification.
“What are you apologizing for?” she said. “Finally, Prime Minister Netanyahu tells the protestors, who are destroying the nation from the inside out, the truth to their faces, and you hasten to release caressing explanations? Netanyahu doesn’t need you to explain him.”
Deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi told 103FM that he didn’t know the protestors’ motives.
“Are they against Netanyahu? For Iran?” he asked. “We’re worried about the security situation. A multi-front war is imminent, and you see that what interests them is only to make Netanyahu fail and go home, so they have become just like our enemies.”
Likud MK Boaz Bismuth added that he doesn’t consider the protestors his people.
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