Yair Golan, head of the Israeli Democrats Party, has caused a storm of controversy in that nation by telling the truth, and sending the Israeli pro-genocide “warrior leadership” into orbit. Golan is a retired Major General, and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Democratic Party is a merger, carried out in June 2024, between the Labor and Meretz parties, which now holds four seats in the Israeli Knesset.
In an interview with the Kan public broadcaster, Golan said that “Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don’t return to acting like a sane country.” He added, “a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations.”
After slamming Israel’s conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, in an appearance on Kan’s “This Morning” program, Golan stated, “This government is full of vindictive, unintelligent, and immoral characters.” He added that its conduct is far from Judaism, despite the fact that many of the coalition parties are religious. “These ministers are simply horrifying. It cannot be that we, the Jewish people, who have undergone persecutions and pogroms—turn into those who do this to others, “ reported i24News on May 20. He also pointedly said the Israeli government is engaged in a “war for survival purposes, not security,” referring to the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using the war to stay out of jail on extant corruption charges, let alone more serious charges that he may face in consequence of the war on Palestine.
Netanyahu hit the roof, releasing a statement: “I vehemently condemn the wild incitement from Yair Golan against our heroic soldiers and against the State of Israel.” “The IDF is the most moral army in the world,” and, further, Golan’s comments are “despicable anti-Semitic blood libels against IDF soldiers.” Other leaders of parties aligned with the war policy made similar statements.
Golan’s statement represents a growing willingness of Israelis and others to finally denounce out loud the Israeli leadership’s indefensible organized killing.
