Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu caused a stir in the Knesset this afternoon (Wednesday) during the debate on the bill banning advertising and restricting the marketing of tobacco products and asked to oppose a law passed earlier in the plenum, which deals with the removal of content published on social networks.
Netanyahu received shouts that he should step down from the rostrum because he was supposed to speak about a different law, but ignored them.
"The law brought here by this predatory coalition is a great danger to democracy and freedom of expression," Netanyahu began.
He said, "The Bennett Lapid government, together with Sa'ar, is actually seeking to censor social networks, which are today's public square, the only place left where the right still has freedom of expression in front of the mobilized left. There is no limit to what this coalition is trying to do, to try to shut down [freedom of speech], so too in this place. The government is not satisfied with the mobilized media, now it also wants to silence the right on social media."
"Let it be clear, we are all against violent and abusive discourse whether it is conducted on social networks, whether in the media or in a dialogue between two people, but as we do not attach a judge to any conversation between two people so we do not have to attach a judge to censor social networks Because a violation of freedom of expression in the networks is a fatal violation of democracy. Even so, unfortunately, your ruling is already being carried out by the media companies that systematically censor the right," Netanyahu added.
He claimed: "Bennett Lapid and Sa'ar are not satisfied with the mobilized media, with the censorship of the right-wing media companies, they are now trying to close this loophole as well. Those who stole the last election and do not clear the electoral threshold now want to shut up the public to steal the next election."
"It will not help them. I call on anyone who really cares about democracy to oppose this evil and anti-democratic law and to fight vigorously for the freedom of expression that is the lifeblood of true democracy. If this bad law passes, my friends and I, when we return to the leadership of the country, we will overthrow it along with the additional Iranian laws that this evil and anti-democratic government is supposedly passing in the name of democracy," the opposition chairman concluded.