The Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir arrived this evening (Saturday night) at the police headquarters in Tel Aviv to closely monitor the conduct of the police against the protestors against the reform to strengthen democracy.
“I am coming here as part of my role as Minister of National Security, this is my job and just like Omer Bar Lev before me and Amir Ohana before him and Gilad Erdan before him and all the Ministers of Internal Security came, I am coming here to implement my policy,” said Ben Gvir. “I have no intention of apologizing to anyone, certainly not to the anarchists who want to set the state of Tel Aviv on fire.”
He added: “I explain this unequivocally – freedom of expression is sacred in my eyes, important to me, those who come here and want to exercise freedom of expression, we will do everything to allow them that. But those who throw fences at policemen, who beat, who attack, who want to block main transportation arteries, who want to disrupt traffic in Tel Aviv, who want to prevent a woman in labor from getting to the hospital, who want to prevent people from returning home – we cannot.
“This is my policy, this is my instruction, the Commissioner upholds this policy and I must say about the Commissioner, I have great respect for him. I saw him last week in real time, how he works and prevents these anarchists from breaking the order and I told him good luck.”
The minister emphasized: “This is my expectation here from each and every one, I spoke here with the honorable district commander and I told him this explicitly. He agreed and understood. This is the policy, not to allow blocking of main transportation arteries. We have a duty to the citizens of Israel, we have a duty to the residents of Tel Aviv, to people who want to return home, to people who want to leave home, and the police will fulfill this duty.
“This is the policy and I say again, freedom of speech, welcome and Salen, let them shout as much as they want, of course without incitement. But those who incite, those who defraud, those who block main transportation arteries, those who attack police officers, should be dealt with with the full severity of the law, that’s what I told the police.
“Right now things are going as you can see just fine. They shout, let them keep shouting, but I will not tolerate any harm to a policeman, any harm to a policewoman, any harm to a fighter. One more thing needs to be understood: I saw the investigation by the police against that officer in Tel Aviv. This is an inspection designed for one thing, to deter and intimidate the police officers, to make them not do their job, and that’s why I support the police officers, stand behind them and tell them: you are our messengers, you are the police officers who stand here to maintain public order and I support them.
“By the way, I didn’t see the police that they rushed to do anything, not in the case of Ahovia Sendak, not in other cases, so I think that the idea of officials in the police is to discourage the police and that’s why I say to the police: I’m here, the Minister of National Security, I’m reinforcing With you, we have your back, our dear policemen and fighters, we stand behind you and you will continue this important task of maintaining public order, this is my agenda and concept.
“Congratulations to all the police officers who are now in the field and doing sacred work. We have to remember, we are in the weeks when terrorism is increasing, terrorism is trying to raise its head and therefore the task of the policemen and fighters is to prevent terrorist incidents.
“And a final word, left, right, religious and secular, in the end we are one nation and we have to remember that the terrorist who looks out the window does not make a distinction between right and left, between religious and secular, so I say to everyone: our strength is in our unity. Yes, there is a sharp disagreement, and I am a clear supporter of the legal reform, but I say to everyone, even to those who shout: shout, you are allowed, but remember that we are one people. Don’t confuse the differences and this is what I say to the leaders as well, to Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, take responsibility. Freedom of expression yes, to inflame and incite, it is not.”
According to him, “What happened with Sarah Netanyahu, in my eyes it is terrible that the wife of a prime minister is going to get a haircut and they are trying to lynch her.” The police poured in there in large forces and eventually took her out, but it’s a sign of poverty that anarchists want to hurt the wife of a prime minister.”
The chairman of the state camp MK Benny Gantz responded: “Netanyahu – don’t let Ben Gabir play politics on the backs of the policemen. The whole purpose of Ben Gabir’s arrival at the police headquarters this evening is political interference in the professional work of the police. I call on the commissioner and the police to act according to their professional judgment and not according to improper political pressures.”