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
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
