Ehud Barak Warns Israel Sliding Into ‘Apartheid’
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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
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