Lapid: ‘Israel won’t be a democracy if Netanyahu passes immunity law’

Blue and White MK criticizes Palestinian leadership over rejection of Trump plan, says ’always saying no isn’t diplomacy.'

By JEREMY SHARON
Blue and White MK Yair Lapid speaks at the Maariv Business Conference on February 26, 2020
Senior Blue and White MK Yair Lapid warned on Wednesday that Israel would cease to be a democracy if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is able to form a coalition after the election and pass a retroactive immunity from prosecution law to protect himself.
Speaking at the Maariv conference in Herzliya, also addressed the Trump peace plan and criticized the Palestinian political leadership for failing to see the opportunities the proposals lay out for the Palestinians.
“If Netanyahu wins [the election] by even one seat, he will claim that he doesn’t need to have a trial because the public will have already acquitted him,” argued Lapid in reference to Netanyahu’s upcoming trial on three corruption charges slated to begin March 17 in the Jerusalem District Court.
“He will pass the whole [legislative] package, a ‘French law’ [for] immunity, Israel will not be a democracy. In countries where the prime minister and his associates have immunity from the law - they are not democracies.”
Netanyahu has given contradictory answers as to whether he will seek retroactive immunity legislation if he manages to form a new government, while his right-wing, religious and ultra-Orthodox allies appear disinclined to oppose it.
Lapid said that due to this danger, left-wing voters should vote for Blue and White instead of Meretz-Labor-Gesher to ensure that his party is the biggest and gets the first chance to form a coalition.
“Anyone thinking of voting for Labor needs to take this into account. It will be one seat that we will  lack in order to win. The only question is who will be the biggest party. You don’t have two alternatives, you just have one - Blue and White.”
Turning to Trump’s peace proposals, Lapid said that “always saying no is not diplomacy,” and that if the Palestinian leadership would seriously consider the Trump proposals they would see that there are “no few opportunities” for the Palestinians.
“We want to use the Trump plan in order to build a better future for the region, in the region,” said Lapid.


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