Is the End of Israeli Democracy Nigh? Israelis Debate Its Future.
" he said, "it is the rule of the majority that is the sole ruler." Declaring
that "statesmanship has come to an end here," he used the Hebrew term "mamlachtiyut," a concept of putting the national interest first, coined by Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. that This time,
that If we permit corruption to take hold in the Knesset,
Mr. Rivlin did not mention Mr. Netanyahu by name but accused those in power of working to delegitimize and weaken "the gatekeepers of Israel’s democracy," and, crucially for a country
that lacks a constitution, erode the justice system and the influence of the courts.
However, there is a deep divide on how we interpret what democracy means."
That Mr. Rivlin comes from the same party as Mr. Netanyahu made his rebuke all the more surprising, and drew comparisons with criticism leveled against President Trump by leading Republicans in the United States, including Senators Bob Corker and John McCain and former President George W. Bush.
Reuven Rivlin, the Israeli president, a largely ceremonial post meant to be above politics, warned
that "statesmanship has come to an end" and said Israel was "witnessing the winds of a second revolution or coup." Mr. Rivlin comes from Mr. Netanyahu’s own party, Likud.
A former chief of Shin Bet, the Israeli domestic security service, wrote in a newspaper column on Monday
that if "the ethical and moral rot that leads us" continues, "this incredible Zionist enterprise will expire." The attorney general has lambasted efforts in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, to thwart corruption investigations against Mr. Netanyahu.
Avi Shilon said that The left wing is attacking Netanyahu all day long but has no influence,