Barak and Netanyahu
Photos: AFP
Barak: Netanyahu support rally was 'pathetic performance of whining'
Netanyahu's efforts to paint the investigations against him as political persecution by law enforcement authorities met with criticism and calls to resign and go to elections from former PM Barak, Labor leader Gabbay and Yesh Atid leader Lapid, among others.
Former prime minister Ehud Barak slammed the support rally held Wednesday for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it a "pathetic performance of whining."
In his speech at the rally, organized by his close confidant MK David Bitan at the prime minister's request, Netanyahu accused the media and the left wing of trying to "topple" him without elections.
"The suspect from Balfour St. continues whining," Barak wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night. "Likudniks are proud and honest citizens. Not puppets. There is no persecution—there's corruption. There is no leadership—there's panic."
Former prime minister Ehud Barak
Barak elaborated with a video on Facebook later in the evening, saying his friends who are Likud supporters, "are almost bursting with sorrow and embarrassment, but they won't support serious criminality at the top and the taking of bribes."
He criticized the "touching sympathy" to Netanyahu at the rally, adding that "when the state witnesses' testimonies becomes public, it will be game over. This is not persecution or political disagreements—this is personal and systematic corruption. Who really believes the attorney general and police commissioner are persecuting the prime minister?"
While arguing that "the common citizen enjoys the presumption of innocence," Barak said that "the prime minister cannot hide behind it. With the power given to the prime minister comes great responsibility, both ministerial and public."
Barak called on Netanyahu to "pull himself together" and resign, so "his achievements can be remembered. If he continues stalling, he will crash into the abyss, and that's a shame."
Netanyahu with his wife and his supporters at the rally (Photo: AFP)
Netanyahu's speech was also criticized by Labor leader Avi Gabbay. "The people of Israel this evening witnessed a prime minister who lacks confidence and attacks the State Attorney's Office and the Israel Police, whose heads he appointed himself," Gabbay said.
"The prime minister will incite, divide and try to draw the attention away from the disabled people's plight and the real problems the people of Israel face, while we will unite and give the people the strong leadership it needs," he added.
Gabbay at a protest calling on the attorney general to stop stalling on Netanyahu's investigations (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Gabbay asserted that "the support by the Likud center's members tonight of the Netanyahu family's corruption does not reflect the views of Likud voters who, like other Israelis, pay the price of corruption in public services, traffic jams, impossible housing prices, and young couples who are afraid to start their independent lives."
"Netanyahu keeps claiming the people are with him. I call on him to test that with national elections as soon as possible," he added.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid joined the chorus of condemnations, saying "all of the lines have been crossed tonight. The prime minister organized a rally for himself against the investigations he's under, and delivered the most divisive and inciting speech I've heard from any Israeli public official. With him were ministers, MKs and other elected representatives who came to protest against the police, the State Attorney's Office, and the attorney general. They protested to scare those investigating them."
He decried Netanyahu's "attempt to portray the investigations as political persecution" as "an insult to our intelligence," noting the police commission, attorney general, state comptroller and state attorney were all appointed by Netanyahu.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
"They're not 'out to get him,' they're out to get to the truth. That's exactly what scares him and his close associates so much," Lapid said.
"What exactly are law enforcement authorities supposed to do in light of such a protest? Give up? Stop the investigations?" he wondered.
Netanyahu was warmly welcomed by some 2,000 Likud supporters, including many of the party's ministers and MKs who attended following threats by rally architect Bitan he would "settle the score with them in the primaries."
