Ehud Barak continues his plummet to irrelevancy

David Weinberg's written about Barak's continuing shamelessness as he avoids hard questions about his own conduct, including his associations with Jeffrey Epstein, and his past record of blunders that resulted in his becoming the shortest serving prime minister in Israel:

Barak is promoting his political comeback with near-messianic zeal, preening self-confidence, sky-high arrogance, and the most violent political language heard in this country in decades.

In dozens of speeches across the country and in aggressive social media posts, Barak has been savaging Prime Minister Netanyahu and anybody to the right of him as “dark and dangerous ultra-nationalists who are undermining the foundations of Zionism and Israeli democracy.”

Barak talks madly about the “shattering of Israeli democracy” (nonsense, Israeli democracy is robust!), and the “darkest days Israel has known” (another absurd claim).

Worst of all is his frequent use of the “f” and “a” words – fascism and apartheid – to describe the policies of his conservative opponents.

In one speech I heard, Barak hurled the epithet “fascist” at Netanyahu three times and “apartheid” at right-wing West Bank policies another three times. He then accused all Israelis to his political right of wearing Nazi-style “selection eyeglasses," which is a disgusting political slur whether used by an anti-Semitic non-Jew or a born-again wannabe Israeli leader.

Barak delivers all this dreadful demagoguery alongside incessant use of the epithet “messianic” in describing policies of the right-wing. This, of course, is supremely ironic, since the only messianism that exists in abundance in Ehud Barak’s presence is his own messianic self-assurance.

Barak’s wild exaggerations and exceedingly belligerent characterizations are shocking. His vehement denigration of others and unrestrained use of near anti-Semitic and pseudo-BDS language about Israel and Netanyahu is unacceptable.

In fact, Barak’s demonizing language is the type of speech that would undermine any democracy. In other words, Barak is guilty of the accusations he throws at anyone who dares to disagree with him. And this makes a mockery of his pompously named "Israel Democratic Party."

The way these demagogues use positive words for the sake of negative goals is also extremely galling. At 77 years old, he should be retiring already, not wasting his time in politics. A most disgraceful man indeed.