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(JNS) Moshe Ya’alon, who served both as defense minister and IDF chief of staff, accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in an interview with the crowdfunded DemocratTV outlet on Saturday.
“At the moment, the direction they’re pulling us toward—to conquer, to annex, ethnic cleansing … and to establish Jewish settlement,” Ya’alon said.
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Pressed by the interviewer about his comments, Ya’alon said, “There is no Beit Lahiya, there is no Beit Hanun, they are currently operating in Jabalia and are essentially cleansing the area [the northern Gaza Strip] of Arabs.”
“לכבוש, לספח, לטהר טיהור אתני תסתכלו על צפון הרצועה ולהתיישב יישוב יהודי” – משה בוגי יעלון על מה שקורה בעזה@bogie_yaalon @lucyaharish pic.twitter.com/0FXLjafpsf
— דמוקרטTV (@Democrat_TV) November 30, 2024
Ya’alon’s comments drew sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle in Israel.
Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “Ya’alon’s words are a lie that helps our enemy and hurts Israel.
“I saw up close the fighters and commanders of the IDF while I was leading the difficult war against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran—the IDF acted according to the highest standards that can be applied in the complex and difficult war that was imposed on us.
Extremely important! #Israel‘s *right-wing* ex-Minister of Defense, Moshe Ya’alon, sheds light on Israel’s most dangerous government & the supremacist ideology of its Finance & Security Ministers.
Listen to every word to understand the ongoing escalation! pic.twitter.com/rC6ZDUCMXk
— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) April 7, 2023
“The instructions and orders were always given in accordance with the law and the spirit of the IDF. I suggest to Ya’alon not to be ashamed of his security past, to learn the facts, retract and apologize to the IDF soldiers,” Gallant said.
Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, a former political ally of Ya’alon, and a former defense minister and IDF chief, said, “Not ethnic cleansing—the IDF is fighting terrorists and will continue to do so in the future in the entire Strip.”
Moshe Ya’alon — former Israel’s Defense Minister:
An Iranian Useful Idiot. pic.twitter.com/o1lzBasx1J
— ((🆆3⃣🅱🆂🜃🅶3⃣)) 🇮🇱 I Stand with Israel! 🇮🇱 (@w3bsag3) December 1, 2024
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “The irresponsible words of former minister Moshe Ya’alon are not true and slander Israel without foundation. I call on him to retract his words.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of the Otzma Yehudit Party, said, “To see the Arab media tonight celebrating Ya’alon’s words. It’s a disgrace to the State of Israel that someone like him ever should have been here as minister of defense and chief of staff.”
Knesset member Keti Shitrit of Likud said, “Ya’alon’s claims that the government is carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza are the litmus test of what remains of the extreme left in Israel. A stray herd devoid of ideology, who insist on perpetuating hatred and helping the enemy during an existential war. Disgraceful.”
🇮🇱ISRAEL’S PATH TO DESTRUCTION? YA’ALON WARNS OF ETHNIC CLEANSING IN GAZA
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon accuses Israel’s current leadership of leading the nation down a path of “occupation, annexation, and ethnic cleansing” in Gaza. He claims the IDF is actively… pic.twitter.com/B7FPXCBQKn
— AP⚡ (@paezz173) December 1, 2024
Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen said, “The leaders of the Israeli left have lost their way. … I am sure that they do not represent most of the people of the Zionist left (whose children also fight in the battles mentioned above), but as long as you do not show them the door out, they will continue to represent you.”
