Police Have Not Sought Probe Into Ehud Barak Despite His Latest Remarks

In a Monday interview with Kan Reshet Bet, former prime minister Ehud Barak warned that if Benjamin Netanyahu tries to "sabotage the election," there would be "no choice but to drive him out with sticks and stones." Barak said he fears Netanyahu could disrupt the next election process.

Barak also argued that Netanyahu could prevent elections by escalating the security situation. He outlined a scenario in which Israel strikes in Lebanon, Hezbollah responds, and the conflict then expands to Iran, leaving, in his words, "we are operating in the Dahieh, there is a Hezbollah response, and we have a war with Iran and there are no elections."

Later in the interview, Barak accused Netanyahu of seeking an endless war for political and legal reasons. "Netanyahu wants a war without end because he understands that ending the war means speeding up the trial," Barak said. "There are no more excuses and no more claims. This is a day of accountability that he does not want to reach." He also claimed Netanyahu previously worked to derail hostage-release efforts and moves intended, in Barak's view, to advance Hezbollah's disarmament.

Despite Barak's long record of inflammatory anti-Netanyahu remarks, the report says the incitement-to-violence unit in the Police Investigations and Intelligence Division has not once asked the State Prosecutor's Office to open a criminal probe against him. Senior officers were quoted as saying the former prime minister is protected by senior figures in the police and the prosecution, while Police Commissioner Danny Levy has remained silent. The Israel Police responded that all incitement complaints are handled according to standing procedures and examined on their merits.