AG says Netanyahu endangered democracy, “We have succeeded by the grace of God” – TV
AG says Netanyahu endangered democracy, “We have succeeded by the grace of God” – TV
In private conversations, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit recently said that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aggressive attempts to maintain his rule endangered Israeli democracy and that Israel was saved by “the grace of God” of these efforts, Channel 12 reports.
In transcripts of conversations Mandelblit allegedly had with unidentified individuals, the attorney general said that as Netanyahu consolidated his power as prime minister, “I saw things evolve towards [a demand for] personal loyalty, which means a danger to democracy.
And as Netanyahu’s criminal cases progressed, there was “a sophisticated attempt” to “change the DNA” of the judiciary and the free press.
He said Netanyahu may have even hoped to appoint high-profile judges who would be loyal to him and protect him. “Bring in a certain lawyer, and a certain legal advisor, and some assistant legal advisers, and a chief of police who is ‘one of us’, and so on. All of these things could cause us to collapse from within, ”he said.
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit (right). (Flash90)
He said that, as attacks on him and other legal officials escalated by Netanyahu and his allies, “we suddenly found ourselves in a struggle for the legitimacy of the attorney general’s office, for the DNA of the Jewish people and the State of Israel in modern times. .
“That’s, I think, the whole story. It took me a while to figure it out.
He also said he believed Netanyahu had been able to try to replace him with another attorney general who “would say the case is falling apart and falling apart and having no merit.” I never dreamed that we would reach such a place.
Mandelblit, who is religious, is said to have said: “We did, really, by the grace of God. I really believe that… I don’t know how it would have ended. I would not have been silent. The Supreme Court would certainly not have remained silent.
He added that although Netanyahu was no longer in charge, “we need guarantees for the future. It could happen again. There is no guarantee for democracy, that is the lesson I draw from all of this.
Channel 12 quoted a Netanyahu associate as responding: “These are messianic comments from an official who has decided to replace the people, nothing less” – a reference to Netanyahu’s claim that the prosecution of him were an attempt to remove him from power legally, since he has popular support in the polls.
“Mandelblit himself admits that he sought to bring down Prime Minister Netanyahu,” they continued. “Mandelblit should be reminded that in a democracy, the people choose their leaders, not the attorney general. “