The Labor Party filed a police complaint this evening (Saturday) against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that an investigation be opened due to the “inciting statements”. This, following the storm created by the Prime Minister’s statement at the cabinet meeting, when, according to reports, he said that “I want to give you a punch to hit them, the same people who demonstrated against the gas agreement and against the corona vaccines – are the same people who are protesting today.” the knesset Marev Michaeli She said that “the last time we ignored his incitement – it ended in murder. This time we will not let it happen.”
Earlier, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He published a post on his personal Facebook account and referred to the storm created by his statements during the cabinet meeting.
In a post he published, Netanyahu wrote that “the hypocrisy and irresponsibility of the media and the leaders of the opposition is a bottomless pit. They aim to create anarchy in the State of Israel and harm its economy in order to bring about sixth elections. For weeks they have been silent in the face of explicit calls by the protest leaders for bloodshed, the use of weapons, civil unrest , refusals, withdrawal of investments from Israel, assassination of a prime minister, harm to his family members, names and symbols of government.”
A demonstration against the reform in Jerusalem (Photo: Gili Yaari, Flash 90)
Instead, they choose to attack me by deliberately distorting my words. To everyone who heard my words, it was clear that my intention was to strike down the false claims of those who spread panic, and not by any call for violence or violation of the right to demonstrate. They are not ready to accept the fact that they lost the election. For this they are ready to collapse the house. They should be ashamed of the way they try to distort the consciousness of the public in Israel.”
He also wrote, that “instead of responding to our calls for dialogue and calming the spirits, they call for inflaming the spirits and anarchy. I call on the other voices in the opposition not to cooperate with this lawlessness and enter into serious negotiations for the benefit of all the citizens of Israel and the State of Israel.”
In the meantime, the Prime Minister’s office brought the exact quote for its claim from the cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Netanyahu: “They told us what was happening. Understand what we have done here, what we have done – we have essentially put Israel in energy independence, in a situation where the price of gas here is, what is it, a third of the world average? one third of the world average. Do you remember what they said? I want you to equip yourself with this and just give the punches back, so to speak. It is not only striking with terror, as we said, it is also striking with a lie, striking with a lie. Look what it is, what a result.”
Yair Lapid at the Yesh Atid faction meeting (Photo: Mark Israel Salem)
the chairman of the opposition, Yair Lapid, responded to the Prime Minister’s words: “Netanyahu, it’s time to put an end to your lies. As explained by all the important economists in Israel and in the world, you are the one who is destroying the economy, you are the one who is tearing the people apart, you are the one who is inciting violence. We will not let you crush Israeli democracy and we have no intention of remaining silent in the face of your poisonous incitement.”
Member of the Knesset Marev Michaeli She responded to Netanyahu’s words: “Netanyahu would like to give the ministers of the government a punch to punch the protesters. These are his words. Now as usual, he ‘doesn’t hear that they shouted traitor, didn’t see the coffin, didn’t really mean a punch.’ No amount of spin will release Netanyahu from responsibility for his inciting statements . Once an instigator is always an instigator. The blood that he spills, God forbid, will only be on his hands.”
Member of Knesset Gideon Saar: “Prime Minister – will you punch us? You will feel the force of the clenched fist of the citizens of Israel who will kick you out of power. You are talking about punching us with a lie? You? We all know your lie. That your finance minister defined you as a liar son of a liar? You blush when you telling the truth.”
The organizers of the demonstrations on Netanyahu’s words: “Every citizen who reads his words knows that his judgment has been lost. This is the amplification of his inciting words from last night against hundreds of thousands of good Israelis who are fighting for democracy. This is what a prime minister who has realized that he has lost his legitimacy looks like. We call on the president of the state and the heads of The parties condemn and denounce the words of the national instigator. Shame.”
As mentioned, after the report on the Prime Minister’s words, his office clarified the matter and said in response that “When the Prime Minister used the word hit, he meant to strike at the false arguments of those who are trying to spread panic, and not to physically hit anyone.”