Overnight, the Knesset voted with a margin of 63-47 of the 120-member body, to approve the first reading of two of the reform laws in the judicial system. Following this, members of the Knesset in the opposition sharply attacked the members of the government by declaring their strong opposition to the continuation of the legislation and warning that it will shake the democratic foundations of the Jewish State.
For their part, the coalition members, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, expressed their jubilation at the furthering of the controversial legal reform process that has been criticized by a wide range of Israeli society, from unicorn start-up companies that have pulled their money from the country to former intelligence, financial, legislative leaders who have come out in droves.
After the vote, the sparring sides took to social media to share their thoughts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted to his Twitter account, tweeting: "A great night and a great day.โ
ืืืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืืื
โ Benjamin Netanyahu - ืื ืืืื ื ืชื ืืื (@netanyahu) February 20, 2023
๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฑ
On the other hand, the chairman of the opposition, Yair Lapid, attacked the move which many panned as โbad faithโ considering, and tweeted: "Members of the coalition - history will judge you for this night. For the damage to democracy, for the damage to the economy, for the damage to security, for the fact that you are tearing the people of Israel apart and you simply don't care."
Former PM Lapid to the Netanyahus: "Members of the coalitionโ history will judge you for tonight. For the damage to democracy, for the damage to the economy, for the damage to security, for the fact that you are tearing the people of Israel apart and you simply do not care." https://t.co/3ufMgFdWFH
โ Noga Tarnopolsky ื ืื ืืจื ืืคืืืกืงื ููุบุง ุชุฑููุจููุณูู (@NTarnopolsky) February 21, 2023
Member of Knesset Benny Gantz, who earlier in the day echoed the sentiment that pushing this through without a meaningful discussion was proof that the coalition is not interested in dialogue, but imposing their way, also expressed his distaste via Twitter: "A black evening for democracy. Tomorrow morning we continue the fight!".
ืขืจื ืฉืืืจ ืืืืืงืจืืื. ืืืจ ืืืืงืจ ืืืฉืืืื ืืืืืง!
โ ืื ื ืื ืฅ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) February 20, 2023
The chairman of the Labor Party, Knesset member Merav Michaeli, wrote: "The conduct of the coalition is unequivocal proof that there is no desire to negotiate. I call again on my friends (Yair) Lapid and (Benny) Gantz to inform the President that despite the good will - we will not have any contacts or negotiations with this predatory group. Their stated goal is to trample democracy, while they lay traps and lures for us in the form of 'negotiations'."
The former Speaker of the Knesset, Member of Knesset Miki Levy, added a photo from the protest against the legal reform which was attended by tens of thousands of Israelis in front of the Knesset building, and tweeted: "Even after this dark night, the Zionist hope to be a free people in our country, shines and shines with precious light and we will continue to fight for it."
ืื ืืืจื ืืืืื ืืืคื ืืื,
โ ๐ ืืืงื ืืื - Mickey Levy (@MKMickeyLevy) February 20, 2023
ืืชืงืืื ืืฆืืื ืืช ืืืืืช ืขื ืืืคืฉื ืืืจืฆื ื, ืืืืงืช ืื ืืฆืฆืช ืืืืจ ืืงืจืืช
ืื ืืฉืื ืืืืืืง ืขืืื. pic.twitter.com/RVQD84RRsn
Member of Knesset Ron Katz got the award for the most dramatic post, tweeting: "February 20, 2023, remember the date, it will be a major day in history. The day they stole the country. We will continue to fight for democracy. Painful and bruised, but lovers of the country are always optimistic."
Meanwhile, the organizers of the protests against the legal reform released a full statement on the vote in the Knesset: "During the black time we are at the darkest point since the establishment of the state. When 37 representatives of the people signed the declaration of independence that defined the character of the state, they did not imagine that we would reach the moment when the Knesset of Israel Try to overwrite every value written in it."
The Knesset just voted on the first reading of the Judicial reform: 63 supported, 47 opposed.
โ Adam Albilya - ืืื ืืืืืืื (@AdamAlbilya) February 20, 2023
The bill thus clears the initial reading stage in Knesset. pic.twitter.com/wL4eVDltQL
"We accuse Benjamin Netanyahu and the band of hate and cowards that surround him, of a deliberate attempt to bring about the destruction of the third house and an attempt to damage the heart of Israeli democracy. 63 members of the Knesset voted today in favor of the destruction of the house, in favor of a terrible rift in the nation, and in favor of the assassination of democracy. Those cowards and criminals will be remembered in the history books as those who tried and failed to carry out a coup".
"Difficult days are still ahead of us, but the love of the country that radiated from the hearts of the millions of protesters who came out in the last eight weeks will light the path of the State of Israel to a better future. In the coming days and weeks, we will increase the protest actions, without fear and without fear, together, all of us, we will protect Jewish and d-e-m-o-c-r-a-t-i-c Israel" the statement added.
