A leading member of a far-left Israeli NGO appears to call for a summary court-martial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the arrest of his entire Cabinet.
Asaf Yakir of Standing Together, a group of Arabs and Jews opposed to Israel’s “occupation” and which has taken a prominent role in the protests calling for the government make a deal to release the hostages from Gaza, made his remarks on a recent episode of the Hebrew-language podcast “Wake-Up Call.”
“Things that need to happen, like putting the entire Cabinet in prison, conducting summary field trials where necessary, or establishing popular tribunals to judge the criminals … aren’t going to happen,” Yakir lamented.
He described the above actions as “basic…, not some grand vision.”
Yakir also spoke of realizing “Netanyahu’s fear of putting the Cabinet under siege, and to do to him and his family as they do to dictators in other parts of the world when they had to be removed from power.”
Channel 14 investigative journalist Ishay Fridman, who reported on Yakir’s comments on Sunday, said, “He talks about summary field trials where they presumably execute people, which [to his mind] is what needs to be done now, but to his regret, the public isn’t on board.”
Yakir also called for mass refusals to serve in the security services, describing any move that undermines the stability of the police or brings the end of the war against Hamas closer as “a positive thing.” He called on Israelis to “refuse really everything. Refuse any kind of military service or reserve service.”
He said legitimacy should be denied to any arm of the current government.
In May, some 50 activists from Standing Together arrived at the IDF’s Tarqumiya Checkpoint near Hebron to ensure the passage of humanitarian aid trucks from Jordan heading to the Gaza Strip.
According to polls, most Israelis oppose sending humanitarian aid to Gaza while Hamas holds Israelis hostage.
