Political division escalating in Israeli regime, officials call for arrest of Gantz, Lapid

Political divisions and infighting appear to be deepening between new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet and the opposition, with Israeli media reporting exchanges of accusations and calls by incumbent officials for arrests of opposition leaders.

According to the Mafzak Live website, Knesset member Zvika Fogel called on Tuesday for the arrest of former Israeli minister of military affairs Benny Gantz and former prime minister Yair Lapid on “charges of treason.”

Gantz and Lapid had criticized the new cabinet’s policies, saying that Netanyahu would be responsible for the breakout of an internal war.

The Israeli media source said that disputes among political rivals in the Israeli regime especially escalated after thousands took to streets in Tel Aviv in the occupied territories on Saturday against Netanyahu’s extremist cabinet.

Meanwhile, Almog Cohen, another Knesset member, told Israeli channel 13 in an interview that “if Lapid and Gantz do not stop dividing, inciting, and calling for bloodshed on the streets, they will be arrested.”

In response to the statement, Gantz addressed Netanyahu directly, saying, “Israel needs broad consensus, not continued division, incitement, and rifts.”

For his turn, Lapid said, “We will not allow them to step on us.”

Last week, Gantz called on Israeli settlers to take to the streets in protest at a set of contentious changes to the Israeli judicial system that Netanyahu’s administration proposed.

On Saturday, protesters flooded the streets and denounced the so-called reforms as a vehicle for Netanyahu to circumvent the repercussions of his long-running corruption scandal.

Some protesters held up a large banner reading “crime minister,” in a reference to Netanyahu, who was indicted for receiving bribe, fraud, and breach of trust, during the twilight of his previous mandate as premier in 2019.

Others brandished signs with slogans, including, “Together against fascism and apartheid.”

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‘Pivotal events in Israel’

In this regard, the head of the Arab Movement for Renewal, Ahmed al-Tibi, said, “What Israel is going through are pivotal events.”

Tibi told al-Mayadeen TV channel that Netanyahu seeks to “weaken the judicial system and annul the lawsuit filed against him in court,” adding, “The demonstrations against the Netanyahu regime show the world the extent of the fascism of the Israeli government.”

Earlier this week, the regime’s new “justice” minister Yariv Levin announced a reform program, including a “derogation clause” that allows Knesset to override the decisions that are made by the Supreme Court.

Also, Tibi pointed out that “the Israeli supreme court which has become filled with extremist right wing judges will become more extreme towards the Palestinians if it approves the judicial amendments,” pointing to “Israel’s concern about the change in the international community’s view of the judicial system.”

Last week, a human rights advocacy group issued a report, asserting that the new far-right Israeli cabinet will consolidate occupation, racism and discrimination against Palestinians.

In the report, the rights group said that the agreements made among the new Israeli cabinet's parties in order to enable their coalition, promote expansion of the regime's illegal settlements across the 1967-occupied West Bank as well as Galilee and Negev regions.

The report also pointed out that the cabinet will “transfer the supervisory authority over planning and construction laws to the ministry of internal security, which will likely dramatically increase demolition orders against thousands of [Palestinian] houses...”

The ministry of internal security is run by far-right Israeli official Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has since the inauguration of the new cabinet created international uproar by storming the al-Aqsa Mosque Compound — Islam’s third-holiest site.

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