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Israeli Politician Faces Backlash Over Remarks on Gaza Civilian Deaths

Yair Golan's comments on military ethics and warnings of pariah status draw sharp rebukes from Israeli leaders and calls for an incitement investigation.

Left wing Israeli leader Yair Golan alongside protesters outside the home of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, December 8, 2024. (Luke Tress)
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Overview

  • Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, criticized Israel's actions in Gaza on public radio, accusing the country of 'killing babies for a hobby' and warning of potential international isolation.
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Golan's remarks as 'wild incitement' and likened them to anti-Semitic blood libels against the Israeli army and state.
  • Opposition leader Yair Lapid rejected Golan's claims, calling them incorrect and harmful, while affirming the heroism of Israeli soldiers.
  • Education Minister Yoav Kisch urged the attorney general to open an incitement investigation, emphasizing Golan's lack of parliamentary immunity.
  • Golan defended his statements on social media, framing them as a warning about far-right policies and linking current military strategies to ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.