Likud Files Complaint against Mayor of Tel Aviv

On Monday morning, the Mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Huldai, gave an interview in which he made a series of controversial comments.

These comments have prompted the Likud party to file a police complaint against him. The Tel Aviv leader said in the interview that he believes Israel would soon turn into a dictatorship.

He had also asserted that the only way that the country could return to a democracy was through ‘bloodshed’.

Dictatorship and democracy

The Tel Aviv mayor spoke from the mass protest that was held on Monday outside the Knesset in Jerusalem.

He said that democratic countries like Israel could turn into dictatorships and said that ‘bloodshed’ was the only way for them to return to democracy, something that history has made evident.

The politicians’ part of the governing coalition in Israel responded quickly to the mayor’s words and condemned them.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, called for an investigation into Ron Huldai for his comments.

He said that the Tel Aviv mayor was inciting murder and he did not have the privilege or the immunity to do so.

The National Security Minister said that the bloodshed call was a serious one and the mayor needed to be prosecuted and questioned.

The criticism

MK Avi Maoz, the chairman of the Naom party, also criticized Huldai sharply and said that he was trying to incite the people.

The MK said that they only had one country and the people and the rebellion and incitement against a government that has been legally elected needs to stop.

He said that the government was just working on promoting the values it believes. A spokesperson for Likud confirmed later that a police complaint was filed by the party against the mayor for trying to incite violence and rebellion.

Violent discourse

Leaders and MKs of the opposition also criticized the words of the Tel Aviv mayor, which included Benny Gantz, the head of the National Unity Party.

He said that they were in the midst of a struggle and it was an emergency, but they were struggling for democracy and not each other.

He said that it was understandable that there would be fear and pain, but violent discourse is not the answer because it would lead to a rampage on both sides.

Gantz said that the comments from Huldai were dangerous and could have a disastrous impact on their struggle.

On the same day, Huldai had clarified that his comments had been twisted into a completely different light for ‘personal gain’.

The Tel Aviv leader said that those sitting in the Knesset were responsible for ensuring there is no bloodshed and these were the people who were turning the State of Israel into a dictatorship.

He added that it was the duty of these people to halt the legislative process and to come to an agreement for doing so.

The speech had come because of the judicial overhaul proposals that have been put forward and are undergoing the legislative process now.