Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid Warns Government of “No Brakes and No Boundaries” in Proposed Judicial Overhaul

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has urged the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon its plans for a major judicial overhaul. Lapid addressed the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and warned that the country has been “taken hostage by a bunch of extremists with no brakes and no boundaries.”

The proposed changes to Israel’s judiciary would be the most significant since the country’s founding in 1948. They would give the Knesset, and therefore the parties in power, more control over the judiciary. This could limit both Israelis and Palestinians in seeking the court’s defense of their rights if they believe they are compromised by the government.

Lapid also criticized the government’s decision to fire Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, saying “What’s happened here in the past 24 hours is madness, it is a loss of control and a loss of direction.” He urged Netanyahu to reverse the decision and warned that the country is “never been closer to falling apart.”

The proposed judicial overhaul has been met with opposition from both inside and outside Israel. Palestinians have protested against the government’s politics, while Israeli politicians and activists have voiced their concerns about the implications of the changes.

The Israeli government has yet to respond to Lapid’s call to abandon the judicial overhaul. It remains to be seen whether the government will heed Lapid’s warnings and reverse its decision, or if the proposed changes will go ahead as planned.