Tamir Pardo
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Ex-Mossad chief warns: Division in Israeli society could lead to civil war
Tamir Pardo says while 'there is more that unites us than divides us,' there are those in Israeli society who prefer to focus on division; 'This internal threat should concern us more than external threats.'
Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo warned on Tuesday that the polarization and division in Israeli society could lead to a civil war.
"This internal threat should concern us more than external threats," Pardo said. "If a divided society crosses a certain line, a civil war becomes a possibility in the most extreme scenario. I'm concerned we're heading in this direction.
"At the end of the day, there is more that unites us than divides us, but there are those within Israeli society who prefer to emphasize what divides rather than what unites us. I can't put a finger on one group or leader; (this phenomenon) exists among all sectors in the country."
Pardo, left, with Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amal Assad (Photo: Avihu Shapira)
"A state is a combination of unity and individuality," he continued. "We each have our own unique characteristics, but we also have things that unite us. Some want to apply their unique characteristics to the entire society—and they fail."
Pardo concluded by saying, "We live in a world dealing with a serious problem of distrust between the citizens and their governments. Take, for example, the referendum in Britain several months ago. After all, if you look into how many among the population truly understand the ramifications of leaving the EU, you won't even reach one percent. The same applies to the primary elections in the US. We need to be careful not to end up in a similar situation."
Pardo was speaking alongside Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amal Assad and Brig. Gen. (res.) Ram Shmueli at a press conference held ahead of a march in memory of fallen Druze IDF soldiers. The march will be held on September 23 in Daliyat al-Karmel.
