President Barak’s words constitute an urgent plea to the Israeli government to halt its reckless march toward the dismantling of Israeli democracy. His warning highlights the danger that incitement by elected officials against the judiciary and law enforcement may lead to the killing of civilians who are fighting to preserve the democratic character of the state. Instead of heeding this warning and acting to prevent bloodshed, government representatives and their supporters have chosen to intensify their incitement and accelerate Israel’s descent toward the abyss.
No one will be spared the devastating impact of the catastrophe that will unfold if the government succeeds in its scheme to dismiss the gatekeepers and appoint those who will wield their power to shield the corrupt and persecute those who do not align with the government and its leader. There is a clear and present danger that the lives of the hostages, as well as many others, will be sacrificed. There is a clear and present danger that free elections will cease to exist in Israel. The result will be a dramatic weakening of Israel’s economic standing and, consequently, of its security resilience — a development that would pose an existential threat to every person living in Israel.
Participation in acts of civil resistance — including demonstrations and an open-ended general strike — entails personal risk. But that risk pales in comparison to the danger facing every individual in Israel should the struggle to stop the government’s headlong rush toward disaster fail. A necessary condition for the success of this struggle is broad public participation, even at personal cost.
Aharon Barak is a courageous and honest individual who has made a decisive contribution to the defense of human rights, the rule of law, and the advancement of peace — as a teacher, scholar, Attorney General, and Supreme Court Justice. His warning, itself a manifestation of his extraordinary moral courage, must serve as a wake-up call to the millions of Israelis who seek to live in this land. This is a moment of civil emergency unlike any the State of Israel has faced since its founding.
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