‘Aren’t you ashamed?’ Lapid assails Netanyahu as judicial rift dominates Knesset birthday |
A Knesset session meant to celebrate the parliament building’s 60th birthday descended into a political confrontation Monday, as Opposition Leader Yair Lapid excoriated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for excluding Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, a decision the premier declined to explain.
The clash underscored the deepening rift between the government and the judiciary, with Netanyahu warning that democracy cannot survive if one branch of government dominates the others — a claim the opposition and legal critics insist rings hollow as the coalition advances measures they say are weakening the courts and subordinating them to the prime minister’s control.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana’s decision not to invite Amit prompted an opposition boycott of the Knesset plenum, with Lapid the lone member of the opposition to address the plenary.
The opposition leader appeared only briefly to assail the government, accusing it of deliberately refusing to invite Amit to the event in order to stoke division, knowing that the opposition parties would not take part as a result.
“That was your goal: to make sure we wouldn’t come, so that even during the Knesset’s celebration, you could know that you had driven us out. Know that you’ve dismantled this country. Know that there is division and discord,” Lapid said, addressing members of the government directly in the plenum.
“What have you done? Is this what you wanted? Half a country? Half a people? Half a Knesset? Was that your goal? Will you not stop until you’ve completely destroyed us?” he continued.
“Do you want us to no longer live here together? For everyone to form their own nation, their own state, their own parliament, their own values?” the opposition leader railed.
“Is this what you’ve decided? To dismantle the State of Israel? Aren’t you ashamed? Mr. Prime Minister, aren’t you ashamed?” he said at one point, addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly.
The premier, who also briefly addressed the plenum, refused to answer journalists’ questions about why Amit, who in recent months was also not invited to attend speeches by US President Donald Trump and........