Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Wednesday announced that he will not allow former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon to participate in events at IDF bases. The decision was made following a letter sent by Itzik Buntzel, the father of fallen IDF soldier Amit, H’yd, in which he protested Ya’alon’s expected participation in an IDF graduation ceremony. Buntzel stated in his letter: “Bogie Ya’alon is the man who claimed that IDF soldiers are carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza, defined the war as a ‘war of plunder,’ and even hinted that he ‘hopes Israel will not send soldiers to murder babies in Gaza.'” The bereaved father added: “It is not clear to us what the graduates were thinking when they invited this contemptible and inciteful man, whose words were quoted around the world by Israel’s enemies and served as fuel for anti-Semites.” “This is a Defense Ministry military facility and not a private venue. The matter is within your authority.” Katz responded to the letter by banning Ya’alon’s participation in official IDF events. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)