Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak says the current protests against the government's judicial reform plan will end with loss of life.
"We are heading into civil non-violent disobedience. It's an extremely inspiring movement, and it will not stop. We will block this attempt on the life of Israel's democracy, and we will win this battle, there may be ups and downs, it might take time, some people might lose their lives along the way. I told the people we would have to face toil, sweat, and tears, hopefully, no blood, but there might be some violence, always coming from the right wing, but we will put an end to it, whatever the price will be," Barak told CBS News.
Barak discussed the current Israeli government, saying it is "blatantly illegitimate, to my opinion, and even illegal. They are trying to change the very system. They are trying to change Israel from a place where the government is limited, it can not take actions against minorities, such as LGBTQs and Women, into a government that can do it, and we won't let that happen."
Barak compared National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to the Proud Boys, the American right-wing group that had a hand in storming the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu made an "unholy alliance" with them to save himself from his criminal cases.
The former premier concluded said he was confident that despite the warning, there would not be a civil war, "Netanyahu doesn't have troops, and he doesn't have the will or the capability to do it, we will win through the most non-violent protest ever."