Aharon Barak’s daughter gives evidence to police after right-wing agitator blocked their car, harassed them

The daughter of former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak gives evidence to the police after right-wing agitator Mordechai David and others blocked their car from leaving a conference he spoke at last night and harassed the ex-judge.

David, who has been lauded by cabinet ministers and coalition politicians in the past, called 89-year old Barak “a nothing,” a “dictator” and a “criminal” as Barak and his daughter left the event, and uploaded the incident to his Instagram account.

Barak, a Holocaust survivor, is internationally respected and is seen as Israel’s preeminent jurist. Within Israel, he long has been seen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing leaders as a leftist “activist” who is to blame for many of the problems with the judicial system that the government’s controversial judicial overhaul aims to rectify.

Late last night, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, the organizer of the conference where Barak delivered an address, filed a police complaint for disturbing public order, harassment, and blocking traffic.

David, who was convicted of attempted arson in 2021, regularly blocks the cars of politicians, journalists and other figures he disagrees with, and harasses them.

He has been hosted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has authority over the police, and praised by other coalition politicians.

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman lauded David for his actions, accusing government critics of hypocrisy for not condemning harassment of coalition figures and right-wing groups, stating on X: “Thank you to the wonderful Mordechai David for peeling back your hypocrisy. Simply wonderful.”

The head of the Movement for Quality Government Eliad Shraga calls David “the long arm of the government,” adding “he is friends with Levin, Ben Gvir, gets invited to Knesset committee hearings as an honored guest, and is praised by ministers and coalition MKs.”

Adds Shraga: “When thugs block the car of the former chief justice, this is not a protest, this is organized harassment aimed at terrorizing anyone who dares to stand up to the coup.”

Shraga also calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn David. A spokesman for Netanyahu does not immediately reply to a request for comment.