Former Mossad intelligence agency Director Tamir Pardo spoke out in an unprecedented manner against the conduct of the Knesset in remarks delivered at the Netanya Academic College on Wednesday.
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In a lecture titled: "The State of Israel has chosen to activate its self-destruction mechanism," Pardo lamented what he described as the problematic state of the country and the Knesset in particular.
"Please stop before it's too late. We've learned nothing. When we live in a global village, everything is transparent, and everyone watches what goes on here day after day and, unfortunately, is waiting: Are we willing to read the writing on the wall? Have we learned nothing? Against all odds, we established a state here, [and we have fought] seven wars and a never-ending war against those who have not come to terms with our existence.
Noting Israel is a wealthy and established country and a leader in the fields of high-tech, agriculture, and medicine, Pardo said, it is divided and bleeds when dangers that have not passed and those who seek our demise wait for things to get worse. "Just a little more, and the self-destruction mechanism – the mutual hatred – will activate."
"After four election campaigns in two years, Israel established a complex government that garnered a Knesset majority, and to date, even with 58, this Israeli government has not been toppled," he said.
Blasting the opposition and the Likud in particular, he said: "The party and the coalition that were ousted refuse to acknowledge the outcome and address the prime minister by his title. That doesn't show a lack of consideration; that is a statement that I do not recognize this government, its laws, and its authority. This is not a struggle among people, this is the statement of a leader with dozens of Knesset seats.
He said another "unacceptable phenomenon" was the rejection of legislation simply because it was introduced by the coalition.
"The opposition cannot prevent the passage of legislation. A political outlook whose goal is to paralyze all government activity does not meet the standards of the social contract that is the basis for any democratic regime.
"The Israeli discourse is characterized by impatience and verbal violence toward anyone who thinks differently. The Israeli Knesset constitutes a negative example that is trickling into Israeli society. This polarization between a socialist and capitalist viewpoint. The real, hidden polarization is intentionally concealed, and some of the genuine dialogue was not discussed or clarified [during the state's founding] in 1948.
Turning to Jerusalem Day, Pardo asked: "Do we believe ourselves? That for many weeks the government held situation assessments as to whether to hold a march in its capital? Could such a question arise in London or Paris or Washington? An entire country – every broadcast discussed whether it could hold a march in the capital, and there is no precedent for this anywhere."
"Is the city truly unified? Has Israel done anything from 1967 until now to unify the city? Is there another capital in the world with a refugee camp? Is there a capital in which all of its residents have full and equal rights? We decided on the unification of Jerusalem in 1967, but we haven't done anything to unify it. Even the last right-wing government did not change the status [of the city].
He said: "The decision not to decide is a decision in every respect. Israel has slipped into a coma."
The former intelligence chief decried criticism of Israel's security system, which he said: "has gone above and beyond for a very long time." He said, "Even unprecedented abilities have an expiration date, and that has happened in other places around the world."
Pardo said that over the years, "The settlement enterprise, with the active and passive support of all the governments, began, and that has become very complicated. In recent decades, there has been concern that we cannot reach a decision without risking a civil war."
Pardo asked: "Why do Israeli governments not define the territorial border we want? State leaders are scared of sanctions and boycotts, [in response to] any decision. It is clear to every person on the globe that even today, annexation brings the Jews to a situation in which they are a minority. Our politicians chose to sedate the public, thus deciding the fate of the country while escaping reality, and the clock is ticking. The failure to demarcate territory could lead to impatience, the disqualification of gatekeepers, [and] physical and verbal violence."
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