MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), who heads the Knesset's opposition, told 103FM Radio that if the Israeli government does not obey the Supreme Court's decision to block the dismissal of ISA chief Ronen Bar, it will be "the end of all ends."
Under Israeli law, the government is permitted to appoint and dismiss an ISA chief at any time during that individual's time in office, even without providing an explanation for the dismissal. Lapid and other opposition MKs appealed to the Supreme Court to block the dismissal, despite the court having no legal right to do so, and the court quickly moved to freeze Bar's dismissal.
"I said that if the government does not obey the Supreme Court, we will need to shut down the country, it's the end of all ends," Lapid told 103FM. "This is not a coup even, it is an announcement of the cancellation of democracy. A government which does not obey the court is a criminal government which should not be obeyed."
"For instance, take a law such as the law to prevent incitement. They say that the government decides what constitutes incitement. [Communications Minister] Shlomo Karhi will be the one who decides what constitutes incitement; how long will it take before we are in jail? That is what it means when there is no justice."
"This government needs to wake up. If it thinks that we will stand by the sidelines and not do anything while they are not listening to the court's ruling, then it is mistaken."
When asked for his opinion on those who are claiming that the opposition is weak, Lapid admitted, "They have a majority. I am familiar with the criticism of the opposition, but they have a majority and we are fighting for what we have. If they have a majority, they can come in and vote."
However, Lapid stressed, "The facts are that the opposition has not violated any laws."
Regarding Defense Minister Israel Katz, Lapid said, "The fact that he is trying to advance the 'draft evasion' law is an enormous embarrassment for his entire life."
"HIs big mistake is that he will forever be stained if he advances the 'draft evasion law.' You advance a law in order to release people who dance with [Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak] Goldknopf and scream, 'We will die and not enlist'? [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu cannot fire another Defense Minister; he must go and say, 'I will draft the haredim, because that is what needs to be done.'"
About the decision to fire ISA chief Ronen Bar, who failed to inform the government of the October 7 massacre or allow the IDF to prepare for it, Lapid said, "This whole issue is completely corrupted. Even Ronen Bar said that he will not stay for his entire term, because of October 7. Netanyahu is making a tactical mistake here, because if Ronen Bar leaves, there is only one person who is guilty who did not go home, and that is Netanyahu."
"Our entire war is to protect the law, and I will protect it even when I do not like it," he claimed.
Democracy, Lapid claimed, "is not the rule of the majority. In Russia they have the rule of the majority, and also in Syria and Afghanistan. Democracy obligates everyone, whether you are the majority or the minority. We are fighting, and our strength is less than theirs. I am arguing with the use of the power they have been given for purposes of ill."