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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Netanyahu: Boycott law reflects democracy in Israel; Israel has enough slanderers

During Knesset debate that was titled "The Netanyahu administration's failures" and was initiated by the opposition and 40 MK's - PM Netanyahu slammed the Kadima party:
"You initiated the bill. Key members of Kadima endorsed the original proposal...So why did Kadima MKs who had supported the original bill, decide to oppose it at its final proposal? Maybe because it was made stricter and therefore they had changed their minds?"

"The simple truth is that you had proposed, you had supported and you advanced the bill, so why did you change your minds during the vote? Because their was pressure and you, Kadima Knesset members, folded under the pressure."
Referring to his absence from the vote, he said: "Make no mistake, I approved the bill. It would not have gotten here had I not."
"I'm against boycotts. Both those directed against the state and those directed against groups of citizens. I'm against boycotts against Arabs, haredim, and Israeli citizens. We have friends living in Ma'aleh Adumim, Gush Etzion, Ariel. Do you want to subdue them? Go to the Knesset, set up a government."

"One can file an appeal with the Supreme Court, and we honor the Supreme Court. We shall honor and defend it."

He rejected criticism suggesting Israeli democracy had been violated:
"What stains (Israel's) image are those savage and irresponsible attacks on a democracy's attempt to draw a line between what is acceptable and what is not".


"We have here an MK who participated in a provocative flotilla meant to break the state's naval blockade. You are lucky you are a member of the Israeli parliament and not the Syrian parliament for example."


"The legitimate debate is used to de-legitimize Israeli democracy. Israel has enough slanderers, so I'm asking you not to join them. Israeli democracy is a model democracy and shall always remain so."