Former Israeli general and opposition politician Yair Golan ignited a storm of political condemnation on Tuesday after accusing Israel’s leadership of immorality and alleging the country is acting like “an outcast nation” in its war conduct, adding that “a sane country doesn’t kill babies as a hobby.”
Golan, who heads the left-leaning political alliance known as The Democrats – which includes the Labor and Meretz parties – made the remarks during a live interview on Kan public radio. His comments drew sharp rebukes from top Israeli leaders, who accused him of inciting against the army and echoing antisemitic tropes.
The former deputy chief of staff said, “Israel is on its way to becoming an outcast nation among peoples, like South Africa once was – if it doesn’t return to behaving like a sane country. And a sane country doesn’t wage war against civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby, and doesn’t set goals of population displacement.”
His statement, made against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in Gaza and intense international scrutiny over civilian casualties, was immediately denounced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I firmly condemn Yair Golan’s wild incitement against our heroic soldiers and against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “The IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] is the most moral army in the world… Golan and his friends on the radical Left are echoing the most despicable antisemitic blood libels.”
Golan, 63, is a decorated former general and ex-deputy minister of the economy. He has long been a vocal critic of the Israeli far-right and the Netanyahu government, particularly since the Gaza war reignited last year.
The war began after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which left over 1,200 people dead and more than 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza that the local health ministry says has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children.
Political leaders from across Israel’s spectrum joined in condemning Golan’s language.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “The one who murders babies is Hamas and only Hamas.”
Centrist National Unity party head Benny Gantz demanded an apology: “IDF soldiers do not kill babies as a hobby. These statements endanger the freedom of our heroic fighters before international law.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that such remarks “will fuel the fire of antisemitism in the world”, while hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Golan of adopting Hamas’s talking points.
Responding to the backlash, Golan stood by his criticism of the government, saying, “The intention in my remarks was clear… this war is the fulfilment of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich’s fantasies. If we allow them to fulfil them, we will become an outcast state.”
“I stand by the IDF and its morality,” he added, “but I do not stand by this government’s goals or methods.”
The controversy comes at a time when Israel faces growing international calls for a ceasefire and increased pressure from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over possible war crimes.
Golan concluded his response by calling for an end to the war, the return of Israeli hostages, and the restoration of democratic values.
