Ehud Barak Warns Israel Sliding Into ‘Apartheid’
Image by getty images
Ehud Barak warned on Wednesday that Israel was on a “slippery slope to apartheid” given the current state of play with Palestinians, in stark comments from the former prime minister and leader of the left-wing Labor Party.
Speaking to the German station Deutsche Welle, Barak said that the growth of the Palestinian population would mean Israel would have to either give up the West Bank or become a non-democratic power ruling over another people. “I care about morality,” he told the channel, explaining the motives behind his concern. “But I care more about our very survival in life.”
Barak, who served as prime minister during the last major push for peace in the late ‘90’s, also faulted the present Israeli government for its settlement policy, which he said was alienating due to building in isolated blocs of the West Bank.
“When I was prime minister… we enjoyed the support of the whole world for our policy because it was clear that, on one hand, we are still building within the settlement blocs, but we are genuinely ready to make a deal with the Palestinians and give up the isolated settlements,” Barak said.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
