Six former Israeli spies have raised concerns over the future of the country under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Describing Israel as being under “a critical medical state” the ex-spies voiced their alarm as Israel prepares to celebrate the 70th year since its independence, the day of the Nakba.

The surviving ex-Mossad intelligence agency chiefs made their remarks while discussing the prospect of a fourth-term Netanyahu-led government in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s best-selling newspaper and a regular Netanyahu critic.

Danny Yatom, who headed Mossad during Netanyahu’s first stint in office in the late 1990s, called for his ouster, accusing him and his aides of “putting their interests ahead of national interests” as corruption investigations deepen.

Yatom also voiced concern about “the inertia in the diplomatic sphere, which is leading us toward a bi-national state [with the Palestinians], which would spell the end of [Israel as] a Jewish and democratic state.”

Zvi Zamir, Mossad director from 1968 to 1974, was quoted as saying by Yedioth: “We have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren here, and I want them to live in a healthy country – and the country is sick.”

Expressing his anguish over the fate of Israel, Zamir added: “We are in a critical medical state. It could be that the country had symptoms when Netanyahu took over, but he has brought it to the grave condition of a malignant disease.”

Source: Quds Press International News Agency
Translated by: Middle East Monitor
In collaboration with the Palestinian Media Forum