When I read Defense Minister Ehud Barak's explanation as to why he ousted the Har Bracha Yeshiva from the Hesder program, I caught a hefty whiff of fascism. It seems that I was not alone in sensing that acrid smell.

Like Rabbi Moshe Isserles upon receiving the legal tractate of Rabbi Yosef Karo, I will not print my own analysis, rather I'll make way for a superior commentary by Lurker at the excellent Muqata blog:

....It is simply incredible to read Barak's description of what he calls "the foundations of a democratic state":

* "a monopoly on the use of force"

* "the state's authority over the citizens" [yes, really]

It can hardly be gainsaid that these two points are actually the foundations of a fascist state. In fact, the
Taken as a whole, Barak's points describe fascism.
second point -- the state's authority over the citizens -- is the very core essence of fascism.

Old-fashioned, naive people such as myself once believed that democracy was the citizens' authority over the state. But apparently, we had it all backwards.

Best of all is Barak's amazing description of what he calls "the true basis of democracy":

"When a state reaches the place in which it needs to enforce the law on citizens, it has no choice but to use its army. This instruction must also be carried out and obeyed, this is the true basis of democracy."

There you have it: The use of the army against a state's own citizens, and the resulting imperative to obey orders, constitute -- according to Ehud Barak -- "the true basis of democracy".

Taken as a whole, Barak's points describe fascism to a tee:

1. The supremacy of the state over the individual

2. The usage of the military against the state's own citizens

3. The absolute imperative to obey the state's orders, even at the expense of obeying one's conscience

Barak has not only outlined the core principles of fascism as his model for how our state should be run -- he also has the shameless, unmitigated gall to label it "democracy".

Go read the rest here. In fact, read the whole blog from top to bottom.

Researched, compiled and presented by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz.