“We have a government that evades its responsibly to the citizens and does not meet its primary duty of providing them with protection,” he said.
Barak was referring to the delays in completing the West Bank security fence, as well as the government’s failure to provide police with the necessary means to combat crime.
The country has reached a situation where “girls cannot take a shortcut and get home safely and women don’t know whether they’ll wake up alive in the morning,” he said.
During the press conference, Barak also slammed current Labor leader Shimon Peres for delaying elections for the party’s leadership, referring to his colleague as a “loser.”
Addressing unflattering polls, the former prime minister said the surveys are “at most an expression of a random mood. Leadership is a matter of an internal compass, not a weather vane. When I announced I’ll be taking the IDF out of Lebanon, two thirds of the public were against it.”
Earlier, Labor Knesset Member Colette Avital announced she would back Barak’s bid for party leadership, saying the former prime minister is the only one who can present a genuine alternative and defeat the Likud in the next national elections.
Press conference called in response to media reports
Barak decided to call the press conference after in recent days local media outlets devoted growing attention to his questionable conduct regarding the Labor party census, as well as his long absence from Israel at a time when he should be concentrating on his Labor party campaign.
Tuesday’s press conference was therefore meant to focus attention on the upcoming Labor party vote and indicate Barak is not only thinking about his own party, but also about the country’s leadership.
Barak also sought to present the Knesset members who support his candidacy, in a bid to reinforce his standing within the party.
