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Ex-deputy IDF chief calls for ‘public rebellion’ against government

‘Shut down their stores, block the streets, bar all services,’ former deputy minister Yair Golan says in appeal to Israeli Left, calling for “broad public rebellion” against Israeli government.

By World Israel News Staff

A former left-wing lawmaker and senior Israeli army official called on the Left to launch a “broad public rebellion” to challenge the country’s new government.

Yair Golan, a former Meretz MK and deputy economy minister who served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the IDF before entering politics, took to Twitter Tuesday to call for a massive, orchestrated campaign of civil disobedience to halt planned judicial reforms and prevent the allocation of funds for the haredi sector.

“Friends, against this evil, malevolent government we have only one path: a comprehensive, broad public rebellion. The destruction of the judiciary, unlimited political appointments, permitting the haredim to do whatever they please using our tax money… why should we agree to this? Why should we allow this to be forced upon us, to hit our pockets, to affect our lives? We will never agree to this.”

As part of the “rebellion,” Golan called for road-blocking protests and the shuttering of businesses and services to force changes in government policy.

“From tomorrow, we’re changing things. No more polite Saturday evening protests. No more lamentations and complaints. Just actions. Just results. Businesses will be shut down, services will come to a halt, roads will be blocked, and this arrogant person who presumes to rule, with the help of corrupt, extreme, and dark forces will be made to realize that the people are sovereign.”

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“We are the sovereign, we will determine the fate of our country. Power to the people, but it won’t happen without a determined, brave fight.”

As part of the ultra-left Meretz party, Golan was left out of the 25th Knesset, when Meretz fell short of the 3.25% electoral threshold, marking the first time since the party’s formation that it has lacked parliamentary representation.

The tweets came a day after left-wing leaders accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leading Israel towards a civil war by promoting Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s judicial reform plan.

“If you continue down the path you are now taking, you will bear the responsibility for the eventual civil war in Israeli society,” National Camp chairman and former Defense Minister MK Benny Gantz said at a faction meeting Monday.

“I am telling you this as clearly as possible: You have chosen audacity, but we will choose to fight you in a just struggle.”

Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany

Golan has sparked controversy in the past with his incendiary comments, including responding to a fatal terrorist attack in Samaria by denouncing Israeli Jews living in outpost settlements as “subhuman.”

They “are not people, these are subhumans, they are despicable,” Golan said.

During a 2016 Holocaust Remembrance Day memorial event, Golan seemingly compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

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“If there is something that frightens me in the memory of the Holocaust, it is identifying horrifying processes that occurred in Europe…70, 80 and 90 years ago and finding evidence of their existence here in our midst, today, in 2016,” Golan said.

Three years later, Golan compared the Israeli Right to the Nazi Party.

“I’m reminding people that the Nazis came to power democratically, so we have to be careful, very careful, so that extremist figures with a messianic view won’t exploit Israeli democracy to replace the system of government,” he said.