Former Defense Minister MK Benny Gantz was interviewed on Channel 13 News on Sunday and attacked the government's conduct vis-à-vis Justice Minister Yariv Levin's planned judicial reform.
"In everything I have heard so far in what they call the judicial reform, there is not a single clause that serves the citizen, everything is all about how you give more power to the government and the Knesset against the justice system," he claimed.
Gantz, who heads the National Unity Party, added that "as far as I'm concerned, everything related to citizens must be included in the reform, and we need to make sure that the judicial system is not political. If you agree in advance that there is no politicization of the system, you can expand the circle of influence and maintain the balance."
Gantz also said, "Netanyahu would have done the right thing had he wanted a strong democracy to stop this process, but instead he let his extremist horses advance and look what happened."
He also condemned the incitement against the Prime Minister and said, "Unlike Netanyahu and some of his current partners who stood on all kinds of balconies and behaved in all kinds of ways - I unequivocally condemn all incitement and calls for violence. None of us, no matter how decorated a pilot, should call for violence and breaking the law."
Gantz directly addressed the Prime Minister and said, "Netanyahu - I am against these things, it's a shame you didn't say the same in such a clear way more than two decades ago."
He later said that he called for talks about the judicial reform as early as "the day after Yariv Levin's first announcement on the matter", and added, "Netanyahu has no legitimacy to change the system of government in Israel, that is what we are fighting for".
Gantz was asked whether the opposition will make any moves to influence the planned reform, and said that "there are certain nuances in the opposition, if there are talks, the leadership of the opposition will form a team with professionals and public figures. Lapid and I will be able to agree on the representatives."