Israeli Air Force Chief Tomer Bar warned today, Friday, that Israel's enemies might exploit the political crisis arising from the judicial amendments, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defends while denying that they will harm democracy. Bar stated that his forces need to remain "vigilant and prepared" after the parliament approved the first amendment to Netanyahu's widely debated plan on Monday. He added during a speech to his forces today, "At a time like this, they may try to test our boundaries and cohesion. We must remain alert and ready, and I am confident that we will."
**Fragile Foundations**
Netanyahu conducted several interviews with American media late Thursday night, criticizing the rejection of the amendments. In his remarks to ABC News, Netanyahu viewed the amendment of one of Israel’s basic laws, which acts as an official constitution, as a "minor correction" to an "activist" court. He added, "It has been described as the end of Israeli democracy. I think that is ridiculous, and when the dust settles, everyone will see that."
Netanyahu refused to disclose whether he would comply with a ruling that the Supreme Court might issue to annul the amendment approved on Monday. Opposition leader Benny Gantz stated that Netanyahu's noncompliance with the court's ruling would constitute a "judicial coup." A poll conducted by an Israeli newspaper showed that 58 percent of Israelis fear civil war, and 36 percent believe that the government should immediately halt judicial legislation, compared to 22 percent who said it should be supported unilaterally.
