March 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Israeli consul in New York, Asaf Zamir, presented his resignation this Sunday in protest at the government’s proposal to approve the controversial reform of the judiciary, and after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the Defense Minister.
“The past 18 months as Israel’s Consul General in New York have been satisfying and rewarding, but following today’s events, now is the time to join the fight for Israel’s future to ensure that it remains a beacon of democracy and freedom in the world”, the consul indicated through his Twitter profile.
Asaf has indicated that “the political situation in Israel has reached a critical point”, for which he feels “a deep sense of responsibility and moral obligation to speak out for what is right and to fight for the democratic values he defends”. .
In this sense, the diplomat has criticized the Prime Minister’s decision to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after the latter publicly advocated pausing the process of the controversial judicial reform to allow room for dialogue.
“Today’s dangerous decision to dismiss the Defense Minister has convinced me that I can no longer represent this government. I am increasingly concerned about the policies of the new cabinet, in particular the judicial reform that it is leading,” he said. noted in a letter.
For the consul, this reform “undermines the foundations of our democratic system and threatens the rule of law in our country,” according to what can be read in the letter.
Netanyahu published a brief statement on Sunday in which he announced the departure of the Defense Minister, explaining that he had lost his confidence because “he has turned his back on the Government.”
This measure has raised criticism from the opposition, since the leader Yair Lapid has criticized the president for dismissing Gallant “only because he warned him of the threat posed to the security of Israel” his judicial reform.
In addition, the cessation has sparked new anti-government demonstrations, as 600,000 people have spontaneously taken to the streets of major Israeli cities in protest of the decision. In Jerusalem, they have begun to march from the house of the head of government towards the Israeli Parliament.
