Shamni made his remarks on Wednesday, at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
“We brought the occupation to a level of art. We are the world champions of occupation. I was head of Central Command. The commander of the occupation,” he said.
Speaking of Israeli policies toward Palestinian territories, he said that "Palestinians will not accept the continuation of the endless occupation."
This is not the first instance of a former top-level Israeli official slamming Israel for its policies toward Palestine.
On Tuesday, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said that Israel would be plunged into a civil war if racism and bigotry continues to divide the country.
"The internal threat must worry us more than the external threat," Jerusalem Post cited him as saying. “If a society crosses a certain line in its division and hatred, it is a real possibility to see a phenomenon like a civil war."
Earlier in July, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Israel for turning occupied territories into an “open-air prison.” He called on the world community to take a stand against Israel’s “fascist policies” and “never-ending provocations” and said that the end of the occupation would mean the end of world terrorism.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict exacerbated sharply in August 2015, after Isareli authorities banned Palestinians from entering East Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque, deemed one of the holiest shrines for for both Jews and Muslims.
Since a October 2015 spike in hostilities, Israeli forces have killed at least 236 Palestinians.
