Far-right Israeli lawmaker calls for arrest of main senior opposition figures

By Burak Dag

ANKARA (AA) - Zvika Fogel, a far-right Israeli lawmaker and member of the country's ruling coalition, called for the arrest of opposition leader Yair Lapid and other senior figures from the opposition benches, local media reported on Tuesday.

Speaking to Israeli public broadcaster KAN in a televised interview, the Otzma Yehudit lawmaker said Lapid, along with other senior opposition figures Benny Gantz, Moshe Ya'alon, and Yair Golan "should be arrested now, they are the most dangerous people right now."

Fogel's remarks came after a call on Monday by Gantz for demonstrations and protests "to shake the country" against the government's plan make amendments to Israel's judicial law that would weaken its top court, Haaretz reported.

"They are talking about war, not a demonstration," Haaretz quoted Fogel as saying.

"They want to send people out onto the streets, they are doing everything that is not allowed. For me, that is a betrayal of the homeland. Yes, this is grounds for arrest," he said.

In response to Fogel's remarks, Yair Lapid, said in a video posted on Twitter: "This is how democracy falls apart, in one day."

During a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the controversial judicial reforms proposed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, saying they aimed to "represent the voter's will."

"The claim that judicial reform is the end of democracy is baseless," Netanyahu stressed.

However, thousands staged a demonstration in Tel Aviv, including current and former lawmakers, to protest the proposed reforms on Saturday.