Ehud Barak Calls for Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Against Government's Defiance of Supreme Court

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak condemned the government's decision to refuse compliance with a Supreme Court ruling, calling it a declaration of war against Israel's democracy. Speaking on Sunday, Barak urged Israeli citizens to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience, stating that opposition leaders should lead this movement, or if they fail, the people themselves must take charge. He accused the government and its head of becoming blatantly illegitimate and unfit to govern, warning that such a government might also refuse to recognize election results. Barak described the current administration as one of failure and bereavement, holding it responsible for the consequences of any civil disobedience. He warned that only the masses of the people can prevent the country from descending into a corrupt, dark dictatorship followed by anarchy and destruction.