UUFSD PALESTINE/ISRAEL JUSTICE GROUP (PIJG) FACTS

TAMIR PRADO, EX ISRAELI MOSSAD (INTELLIGENCE AGENCY) SPEAKS OUT ON OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Tamir Pardo, who served as the director of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency from 2011 to 2016, has recently made severe criticisms of Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank. In late April 2026, he described rising settler violence against Palestinians as an "existential threat" to Israel.

Key statements and actions by Pardo regarding the West Bank occupation include:

Comparison to the Holocaust: While touring Palestinian villages in the West Bank that had been attacked by settlers in April 2026, Pardo stated, "My mother was a Holocaust survivor, and what I saw reminded me of the events that happened against Jews in the last century".

"Ashamed to be Jewish": Pardo remarked that witnessing the settler attacks made him feel "ashamed to be Jewish."

Accusation of Apartheid: In September 2023, Pardo explicitly stated that Israel is "enforcing an apartheid system in the West Bank". He defined this as a territory where two people are judged under two different legal systems.

Existential Threat Warning: Pardo warned that the actions of Israeli settlers, backed by far-right government figures, are creating an "existential threat" to the state of Israel and creating the conditions for a "next October 7.”

Criticism of State Inaction: Pardo has accused Israeli law enforcement of knowing about the settler violence but choosing to ignore it, suggesting that attempting to curb this violence could risk a "civil war" due to the political power of the settlers.

These statements reflect a growing trend of former top Israeli security officials voicing concerns over the long-term impact of the occupation on Israel's viability.