Not Very Presidential: President of Israel Isaac Herzog seemed somewhat angry when he addressed the nation Thursday night on the matter of the ongoing unrest over the government of Israel’s judicial reform plan.
“I can no longer see our nation being torn apart before my eyes,” said Herzog. “What is happening here is a disaster. Citizens of Israel – I work for you, for you. I see the sights and hear the cries directed at me and their purpose is one – do everything to make it stop. Do everything to find a solution.”
President Herzog said that he is prepared to “pay any price to find a solution, provided it happens now,” and that he has been working around the clock for weeks now as he has been meeting with all sides trying to reach a compromise in order to, “preserve Israeli democracy.”
“Do not believe anyone who speaks for me,” he said sternly. “When there is a presidential outline – you will hear it in my voice, and only my voice. There is infrastructure here for a quick summary where the only winners are the State of Israel and its citizens.”
President Herzog went on to make the political judgment that the judicial reform plan, “is wrong, it is predatory, it undermines our democratic foundations. Therefore, it must be replaced with another, agreed-upon outline, and immediately.”
The Presidency in Israel is a ceremonial position and the holder of the office does not take sides on political issues, which made the comments unusual. So, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who arrived for an official visit in Rome at the time of Herzog’s address, said that when speaking to the press later on he would not take any questions about it.
Herzog concluded by saying the country is faced with a choice between either seeing a disaster or reaching a compromise solution.
His remarks came after a day in which the country’s prime minister was forced to fly by helicopter from Jerusalem to the airport for his trip abroad. This was because the anti-government protests expanded Thursday to include closing the roads to and from Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Israel’s opposition charges that the government’s judicial reform plan, which would greatly curtail the power of Israel’s Supreme Court to serve as a check on government actions, would harm Israel’s identity as a democracy. This has led to massive protests over the past two months.
“If you choose to continue on the path you’ve followed so far – chaos is on your hands. History will judge you. Take responsibility and immediately,” concluded the President.