Latest news with #Golan
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Liberman claims Netanyahu wanted to name Yair Golan as IDF chief in 2014, Golan confirms
Liberman served as Netanyahu's foreign minister at the time, while Golan held the position of deputy chief of the IDF. Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Liberman declared on Wednesday that back in 2014, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to appoint The Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan as the IDF chief of staff. Golan confirmed Liberman's statements: "[He's] right – this is the same Netanyahu who wanted me as IDF chief of staff in 2014." Liberman served as Netanyahu's foreign minister at the time, while Golan held the position of deputy chief of the IDF: "Even as a general and as deputy chief of staff, I was assertive and goal-oriented," Golan said. Yair Golan said that according to him, Netanyahu is currently directing a "propaganda machine" against him, "not because I've changed, but because he has." "Today's Netanyahu is more corrupt, more paranoid, more inciting, more pressure-driven, entangled in investigations over Qatari money, and more dangerous to Israel's security and future," Golan declared. The Democrats party chairman said that a prime minister "who is corrupt to the core, who is destroying the country, abandoning its security, and sacrificing the lives of hostages and soldiers for his survival—is a danger to the security of the State of Israel," and that he will fight him "to the end." "I haven't changed. I'm still assertive and goal-oriented—and my goal is to send Netanyahu and his government home," Golan concluded.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Has the world had it with Israel?
In Israel, left-wing politician Yair Golan, a retired general, recently stirred controversy when he said in an interview with Israel Radio that 'Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state' and added that 'a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set itself the aim of expelling populations.' In the face of intense criticism, he has since walked back those comments. But while Golan's comments were condemned across the Israeli political spectrum, they 'also sparked a discussion about Israel's conduct and what it is doing and the toll of the war on civilians,' said Tia Goldenberg, a correspondent for the Associated Press in Jerusalem. In an interview with Vox's Today, Explained, Goldenberg said Golan's comments are indicative of the fact that Israelis are increasingly turning against their country's war in Gaza. View Link That war began on October 7, 2023, when an attack by Hamas fighters left 1,200 dead and 250 captured. Some of those kidnapped have been returned; others have died. There are 58 hostages remaining in Gaza, of which a third are believed to be alive. Israel's attacks on Gaza have killed more than 50,000 people and have devastated Gaza, leaving much of it uninhabitable. In recent weeks, it has expanded its military offensive, with increased air strikes and a goal of capturing the entire Gaza Strip and moving the population of Gaza to the south of the territory. That escalation comes amid a dire hunger crisis. Israel began a total humanitarian aid blockade on March 2 in order to increase pressure on Hamas to return the remaining hostages, leading one critic to accuse the country of using aid as a 'weapon of war' during an April hearing on Israel's war strategy at the International Court of Justice. 'During these few weeks, or nearly three months actually, no aid was being let into Gaza, no food, no medicine, no fuel, and you had a situation where food experts were warning that nearly 1 million Palestinians barely had enough access to food, and nearly half a million Palestinians were at the risk of possible starvation,' Goldenberg said. The escalating strikes and threat of mass starvation haven't just roiled Israeli politics; they've also drawn worldwide condemnation of Israel and created an unlikely coalition of critics. MAGA-friendly podcaster and standup comedian Theo Von recently described the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a 'genocide' and 'one of the sickest things that's ever happened.' Leading children's entertainer and YouTube star Ms. Rachel has used her platform to talk about how the conflict is affecting children in the region. 'It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,' she told Zeteo's Mehdi Hasan. 'I think it should be controversial to not say anything.' The new pope, Leo XIV, like his predecessor, has appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza, the freeing of the remaining hostages, and called on Israel and Hamas to respect international humanitarian law. German leaders have made public comments about changing their country's long-running special relationship with Israel, while French President Emmanuel Macron has floated acknowledging Palestine as a state. Even President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Israel and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has started to suggest he's seen enough. 'Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible,' he said last weekend. All of this suggests an inflection point in Israel's long-running war. It has been made possible in part thanks to aid from allies like the US, Germany, and France. If that support were to deteriorate, continuing its operations could become more difficult. That is not to say the war's end is necessarily near. Despite the shift in rhetoric, few of Israel's allies have made any material changes to their relationship with the country. Israel's goal of completely destroying Hamas has not changed. It recently killed Mohammed Sinwar, believed to be the head of Hamas's armed wing. 'It's just been an intense, intense conflict. And yet that hasn't dislodged Hamas from its position. Netanyahu, meanwhile, is under a lot of political pressure from his governing coalition to continue the war,' Goldenberg said. 'It's hard to see how the sides reconcile and come to an agreement that ends this war.' This piece originally ran in the Today, Explained newsletter. For more stories like this, sign up here.
Vox
3 days ago
- Politics
- Vox
Has the world had it with Israel?
Palestinians clear the rubble of the Azzam family home which was hit in Israeli strikes on central Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 29, 2025. Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images In Israel, left-wing politician Yair Golan, a retired general, recently stirred controversy when he said in an interview with Israel Radio that 'Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state' and added that 'a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set itself the aim of expelling populations.' In the face of intense criticism, he has since walked back those comments. But while Golan's comments were condemned across the Israeli political spectrum, they 'also sparked a discussion about Israel's conduct and what it is doing and the toll of the war on civilians,' said Tia Goldenberg, a correspondent for the Associated Press in Jerusalem. In an interview with Vox's Today, Explained, Goldenberg said Golan's comments are indicative of the fact that Israelis are increasingly turning against their country's war in Gaza. That war began on October 7, 2023, when an attack by Hamas fighters left 1,200 dead and 250 captured. Some of those kidnapped have been returned; others have died. There are 58 hostages remaining in Gaza, of which a third are believed to be alive. Israel's attacks on Gaza have killed more than 50,000 people and have devastated Gaza, leaving much of it uninhabitable. In recent weeks, it has expanded its military offensive, with increased air strikes and a goal of capturing the entire Gaza Strip and moving the population of Gaza to the south of the territory. That escalation comes amid a dire hunger crisis. Israel began a total humanitarian aid blockade on March 2 in order to increase pressure on Hamas to return the remaining hostages, leading one critic to accuse the country of using aid as a 'weapon of war' during an April hearing on Israel's war strategy at the International Court of Justice. 'During these few weeks, or nearly three months actually, no aid was being let into Gaza, no food, no medicine, no fuel, and you had a situation where food experts were warning that nearly 1 million Palestinians barely had enough access to food, and nearly half a million Palestinians were at the risk of possible starvation,' Goldenberg said. The escalating strikes and threat of mass starvation haven't just roiled Israeli politics; they've also drawn worldwide condemnation of Israel and created an unlikely coalition of critics. MAGA-friendly podcaster and standup comedian Theo Von recently described the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a 'genocide' and 'one of the sickest things that's ever happened.' Leading children's entertainer and YouTube star Ms. Rachel has used her platform to talk about how the conflict is affecting children in the region. 'It's sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,' she told Zeteo's Mehdi Hasan. 'I think it should be controversial to not say anything.' The new pope, Leo XIV, like his predecessor, has appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza, the freeing of the remaining hostages, and called on Israel and Hamas to respect international humanitarian law. German leaders have made public comments about changing their country's long-running special relationship with Israel, while French President Emmanuel Macron has floated acknowledging Palestine as a state. Even President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Israel and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has started to suggest he's seen enough. 'Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible,' he said last weekend. All of this suggests an inflection point in Israel's long-running war. It has been made possible in part thanks to aid from allies like the US, Germany, and France. If that support were to deteriorate, continuing its operations could become more difficult. That is not to say the war's end is necessarily near. Despite the shift in rhetoric, few of Israel's allies have made any material changes to their relationship with the country. Israel's goal of completely destroying Hamas has not changed. It recently killed Mohammed Sinwar, believed to be the head of Hamas's armed wing. 'It's just been an intense, intense conflict. And yet that hasn't dislodged Hamas from its position. Netanyahu, meanwhile, is under a lot of political pressure from his governing coalition to continue the war,' Goldenberg said. 'It's hard to see how the sides reconcile and come to an agreement that ends this war.'
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Israeli politician critiques the Gaza war's toll on Palestinians and sparks an outcry
Killing babies 'as a hobby.' 'Expelling a population.' 'Fighting against civilians.' It is some of the harshest language against Israel's wartime conduct in Gaza and it came this week from a prominent Israeli politician, sparking a domestic uproar as the country faces heavy international criticism. It is not uncommon for politicians to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war strategy, especially his failure to free all the hostages held by Hamas. What made the comments by center-left opposition party leader Yair Golan rare — and jarring to officials across the political spectrum — was their focus on the plight of Palestinians. Israeli politician on attacks on Gaza The ensuing controversy underscored how little the war's toll on Gaza's civilians has figured into the public discourse in Israel — in stark contrast to the rest of the world. Speaking to the Israeli public radio station Reshet Bet, Golan — a former general — said Israel was becoming a pariah state and cautioned that 'a sane country doesn't engage in fighting against civilians, doesn't kill babies as a hobby and doesn't set for itself the goals of expelling a population.' After the outcry, he said he was referring to the conduct of Israel's far-right government, not of its soldiers, in his remarks. Golan's words were a shock to the system because, outside of the country's politically marginalised left, criticism focused on Palestinian civilian suffering and deaths has rarely been spoken publicly in Israel. The reasons for this include: the trauma Israelis still feel over Hamas' deadly attack on Oct. 7. 2023, Jewish citizens' deep faith in the righteousness of the military, dozens of hostages remain in Gaza and soldiers are dying to rescue them. Criticism of the war has focused overwhelmingly on Netanyahu. His opponents believe his own political motives have dictated war strategy and his failure to reach a deal with Hamas to release all the hostages — an accusation he denies. 'Part of the Israeli public and media outlets are still trapped in an obsession over the initial shock that started this war,' said Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister and fierce critic of the current government. 'But this is changing and it's just a matter of time.' Israelis on ending the war Public opinion polls show that most Israelis support ending the war in exchange for the release of the remaining 58 hostages held by Hamas, around a third of whom are said to be alive. Opponents of the war have tended to focus on concerns over the fate of the remaining hostages and the risk of soldier casualties in a campaign that many feel has run its course. While Olmert disputed Golan's choice of words, he said the essence of his remarks 'reflects what many people think.' After Hamas' 2023 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, Israelis rallied behind the military. They saw the war as a just response to the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Many Israelis cannot imagine a future where Hamas remains intact. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. While international media coverage has largely focused on the war in Gaza and its toll on civilians there, in Israel, the media still devotes heavy attention to the Oct. 7 attack itself and the hostage crisis. Photos of those still held captive line the streets. Stories about the plight of Palestinian civilians are less prominent and largely avoid the harshest images emanating from Gaza. Most outlets repeat the official line that Hamas is solely to blame for the civilian toll. Politicians on Reshet Bet Golan's comments For many Jewish Israelis, it is hard to fathom that their own children, most of whom must enlist in Israel's military, could be committing the crimes that Golan described. All that has helped solidify a national narrative that views the war as an existential struggle. 'When you fight a war of existence, you don't much think about the suffering of the enemy,' said Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. A former deputy chief of staff of the military, Golan's words have sparked outcry in the past. The most notable occasion was a 2016 speech marking Israel's Holocaust remembrance day, when he compared what he said was an increasingly illiberal atmosphere in Israel to that of Nazi-era Germany. On Oct. 7, Golan donned his uniform and grabbed a gun to help battle militants during Israel's flailing first response to Hamas' assault. Olmert called him 'one of Israel's greatest warriors." Golan is not the first public figure to have made such remarks about Israel's conduct in Gaza. Former defense minister and military chief of staff Moshe Yaalon accused Israel of ethnic cleansing during a major operation last year. Zehava Galon, a former leader of a dovish political party, highlighted the deaths of thousands of children at a recent protest in Tel Aviv. But unlike them, Golan has his political future at stake, lending more weight to his words. Netanyahu said Golan's words 'echoed disgraceful antisemitic blood libels.' Benny Gantz, an opposition leader, said Golan's remarks were extreme and false and called on him to recant and apologize, which he did not do. Cabinet minister Amichay Eliyahu suggested Golan's words inspired an attacker in Washington, who killed two Israeli embassy employees and yelled 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested. 'Yair, the blood of the embassy employees is on your hands,' he wrote on X. Golan, in response, said it was Netanyahu's far-right government that 'gives fuel to antisemitism and Israel hatred.' Rosner said Golan's wording on the Palestinian toll was 'uncareful' and that instead of triggering introspection, they prompted a media debate over Golan himself and the damage his remarks might cause to Israel. But they could resonate among the steadfast anti-war protest movement, said Alma Beck, an activist who is part of a small contingent of demonstrators who have been holding up pictures of Palestinian children killed in Gaza ever since Israel ended a ceasefire in March. She said the group began as 20 people and has grown to 600, still just a fraction of the thousands attending the broader anti-government protests. Beck said the protest movement has been receptive to messages that focus on the Palestinian toll, and more signs with that message have been held up by demonstrators in recent weeks. Their main criticism remains that Netanyahu is continuing the war to appease his governing partners and ensure his own political survival. 'I think there is a shift. I think people are starting to connect the dots,' she said, while noting that the bulk of Israeli society hasn't changed. 'I hope that it will only grow.'
Nahar Net
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
'Killing babies as a hobby': Israeli politician critiques Gaza war, sparking outcry
by Naharnet Newsdesk 22 May 2025, 14:32 Killing babies "as a hobby." "Expelling a population." "Fighting against civilians." It is some of the harshest language against Israel's wartime conduct in Gaza and it came this week from a prominent Israeli politician, sparking a domestic uproar as the country faces heavy international criticism. It is not uncommon for politicians to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war strategy, especially his failure to free all the hostages held by Hamas. What made the comments by center-left opposition party leader Yair Golan rare — and jarring to officials across the political spectrum — was their focus on the plight of Palestinians. The ensuing controversy underscored how little the war's toll on Gaza's civilians has figured into the public discourse in Israel — in stark contrast to the rest of the world. Speaking to the Israeli public radio station Reshet Bet, Golan — a former general — said Israel was becoming a pariah state and cautioned that "a sane country doesn't engage in fighting against civilians, doesn't kill babies as a hobby and doesn't set for itself the goals of expelling a population." After the outcry, he said he was referring to the conduct of Israel's far-right government, not of its soldiers, in his remarks. A rare focus on the plight of Palestinian civilians Golan's words were a shock to the system because, outside of the country's politically marginalized left, criticism focused on Palestinian civilian suffering and deaths has rarely been spoken publicly in Israel. The reasons for this include: the trauma Israelis still feel over Hamas' deadly attack on Oct. 7. 2023, Jewish citizens' deep faith in the righteousness of the military, dozens of hostages remain in Gaza and soldiers are dying to rescue them. Criticism of the war has focused overwhelmingly on Netanyahu. His opponents believe his own political motives have dictated war strategy and his failure to reach a deal with Hamas to release all the hostages — an accusation he denies. "Part of the Israeli public and media outlets are still trapped in an obsession over the initial shock that started this war," said Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister and fierce critic of the current government. "But this is changing and it's just a matter of time." Public opinion polls show that most Israelis support ending the war in exchange for the release of the remaining 58 hostages held by Hamas, around a third of whom are said to be alive. Opponents of the war have tended to focus on concerns over the fate of the remaining hostages and the risk of soldier casualties in a campaign that many feel has run its course. While Olmert disputed Golan's choice of words, he said the essence of his remarks "reflects what many people think." Israelis are still traumatized by Hamas' attack After Hamas' 2023 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, Israelis rallied behind the military. They saw the war as a just response to the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Many Israelis cannot imagine a future where Hamas remains intact. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. While international media coverage has largely focused on the war in Gaza and its toll on civilians there, in Israel the media still devotes heavy attention to the Oct. 7 attack itself and the hostage crisis. Photos of those still held captive line the streets. Stories about the plight of Palestinian civilians are less prominent, and largely avoid the harshest images emanating from Gaza. Most outlets repeat the official line that Hamas is solely to blame for the civilian toll. For many Jewish Israelis, it is hard to fathom that their own children, most of whom must enlist in Israel's military, could be committing the crimes that Golan described. All that has helped solidify a national narrative that views the war as an existential struggle. "When you fight a war of existence, you don't much think about the suffering of the enemy," said Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Golan's words have sparked outcry before A former deputy chief of staff of the military, Golan's words have sparked outcry in the past. The most notable occasion was a 2016 speech marking Israel's Holocaust remembrance day, when he compared what he said was an increasingly illiberal atmosphere in Israel to that of Nazi-era Germany. On Oct. 7, Golan donned his uniform and grabbed a gun to help battle militants during Israel's flailing first response to Hamas' assault. Olmert called him "one of Israel's greatest warriors." Golan is not the first public figure to have made such remarks about Israel's conduct in Gaza. Former defense minister and military chief of staff Moshe Yaalon accused Israel of ethnic cleansing during a major operation last year. Zehava Galon, a former leader of a dovish political party, highlighted the deaths of thousands of children at a recent protest in Tel Aviv. But unlike them, Golan has his political future at stake, lending more weight to his words. Pictures of dead Palestinian children Netanyahu said Golan's words "echoed disgraceful antisemitic blood libels." Benny Gantz, an opposition leader, said Golan's remarks were extreme and false and called on him to recant and apologize, which he did not do. Cabinet minister Amichay Eliyahu suggested Golan's words inspired an attacker in Washington, who killed two Israeli embassy employees and yelled "Free, free Palestine" after he was arrested. "Yair, the blood of the embassy employees is on your hands," he wrote on X. Golan, in response, said it was Netanyahu's far-right government that "gives fuel to antisemitism and Israel hatred." Rosner said Golan's wording on the Palestinian toll was "uncareful" and that instead of triggering introspection, they prompted a media debate over Golan himself and the damage his remarks might cause to Israel. But they could resonate among the steadfast anti-war protest movement, said Alma Beck, an activist who is part of a small contingent of demonstrators who have been holding up pictures of Palestinian children killed in Gaza ever since Israel ended a ceasefire in March. She said the group began as 20 people and has grown to 600, still just a fraction of the thousands attending the broader anti-government protests. Beck said the protest movement has been receptive to messages that focus on the Palestinian toll, and more signs with that message have been held up by demonstrators in recent weeks. Their main criticism remains that Netanyahu is continuing the war to appease his governing partners and ensure his own political survival. "I think there is a shift. I think people are starting to connect the dots," she said, while noting that the bulk of Israeli society hasn't changed. "I hope that it will only grow."
