Former Supreme Court president, Justice Aharon Barak, took part this morning (Sunday) in a conference at the Israel Democracy Institute and warned about the state of the country's law enforcement system.
He said, "We are sliding from the liberal democracy we were in, on a rather slippery slope, toward a non-liberal democracy whose end is dictatorship," Barak argued, and he stressed, "We are not there, but if this is not stopped our situation will be unpleasant."
Barak, considered a central figure in the constitutional revolution of the 1990s, emphasized that despite his public image as an extreme figure, he sees himself "a man of compromise and consensus." He said stopping what he called "the deterioration" should also include a plea bargain in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial.
He said, "I still think we should pursue a plea bargain. I also told his representatives who came to speak with me on one occasion - the time for that is running out. There will come a moment when the trial will have progressed too far and there will be no room for a deal. As of today, it is still possible."
Barak also addressed Netanyahu directly, saying, "Bibi, you talk about a rift in the nation. True, there is a rift. But you must set a personal example and act to mend the rift. Why continue with the institutional reform now? Leave it until after the elections. Let the people decide. If you tell the justice minister 'stop,' he will stop. Unfortunately this did not happen - but I hope it still will."
The former Supreme Court president added that the upcoming elections are "critical for the future of the regime and democratic life in Israel."