Ehud Barak stirs for civil disobedience in Israel as a last resort before collapse

Published July 25th, 2025 - 09:01 GMT
Ehud Barak
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak speaks during a rally to protest the Israeli government's judicial overhaul plan, in Tel Aviv on June 24, 2023, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with the controversial programme. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

ALBAWABA - Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak gave a harsh warning on Friday, saying that Israel is on the verge of a historic collapse, both in terms of its democratic identity and its place in the world.  Barak said that the present government had betrayed both the people and the country's starting goal in a speech calling for people to get involved.

"Lost are the Israel we knew and the Zionist dream."  "We need to be brave when we face this truth," Barak said.

Barak said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was bad and that Israel was becoming a joke in the world. He also said that most Israelis no longer trusted their leaders.  He talked about current military actions in the area and mentioned wins in Syria, Iran, and Lebanon. However, he made it clear that Israel is still stuck in a war of attrition in Gaza.

When Barak talked about the effects on the United States, he said that the country is in a crisis, with people dying, military families breaking up, and political prisoners being given up for political survival.

Barak suggested that the only way to get a new government is for a national general strike and a lot of people to disobey the law.  He said that the government would have to step down if millions of people took to the streets and caused chaos.

He said, "When Israel stops moving, the government will have to listen to the people."  "Every day of the week, it's time to do something."

Barak's comments come at a time when the world is still angry about Israel's attack in Gaza, which began in October 2023.  Many people have called the military operation genocide, and the International Criminal Court is now looking into whether Netanyahu should be charged with war crimes.

Palestinian health officials say that the attack on Gaza has killed over 203,000 people, including tens of thousands of children and women.  Over 10,000 people are still missing, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to move.  A widespread famine has also killed many people, mostly children.

Even though there have been judicial decisions and pleas from around the world, the war is still going on. Voices like Barak's are putting more and more pressure on Israel's leaders to change direction.

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