Former Meretz MK Yair Golan caused a furor on Tuesday after calling for a “civil uprising even by illegal methods.”

Golan said in an interview with Reshet Bet: “This government is trying to eliminate Israeli democracy. In the face of these attempts, we will mount an unequivocal civil resistance and if we need to reach a large-scale and non-violent uprising, that’s what we’ll do. I am calling here, within a reasonable framework and without resorting to violence – to carry out illegal activities as well – there is no escaping that.”

“It’s possible to follow after attempts in many countries on how to fight a dictatorship and the conclusion is clear – we need to take unequivocal action and place an iron wall in front of the government.”

The Likud party responded: “Yair Golan’s inciteful and seditious words require an immediate investigation – today. Those who violate the law and call for the violation of the law must pay a price. Otherwise, the rule of law has no meaning. We demand that Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara take a strong hand against the violators of law and order, the instigators and rioters, who seek to sow dangerous calamity in the heart of Israeli society.”

Golan, a former IDF major-general, is known for his controversial statements. Most recently, he called settlers “subhuman,” but his most notorious statement was in 2016, on Yom HaShoah, when he compared Israel to Nazi Germany, saying: “If there is one thing that is scary in remembering the Holocaust, it is noticing horrific processes which developed in Europe – particularly in Germany – 70, 80, and 90 years ago, and finding remnants of that here (in Israel) among us in the year 2016.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)