Former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon warned today that Israel’s government, led by far-right factions pushing for the resettlement of Gaza, is steering the country towards a policy of ethnic cleansing in the region. He further stated that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s administration is leading Israel toward “destruction.”
“The direction we are being forced to follow is one of occupation, annexation, and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip,” Ya’alon stated during an interview with Democrat TV, a vocal critic of the current government.
He added, “Transfer, call it what you want, and Jewish settlements,” referring to the far-right’s agenda of transferring Palestinians from Gaza, often under the guise of “voluntary migration,” and establishing Jewish communities in their place. Netanyahu has consistently denied that these actions are the aim of the current conflict, stressing that such plans are not on the war’s agenda.
Ya’alon, a former right-wing Likud member and defense minister under Netanyahu from 2013 to 2016, has recently become an outspoken critic of Netanyahu’s leadership and the direction of his government.
He remarked, “Now look at the polls. Seventy percent — sometimes more and sometimes a little less — of the public in the State of Israel advocates a path that is Jewish, democratic, liberal etc., and also with separation.”
He continued, “Therefore, there must be no confusion here. The one who wants to confuse us is the one who is currently leading us to nothing less than destruction.”
Journalist Lucy Aharish remarked on Ya’alon’s use of the term “ethnic cleansing,” finding it surprising.
“Ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, is that what you think? That we are on the way to that?” she inquired.
Ya’alon responded sharply, “Why ‘on the way?’ What is happening there? What is happening there? There is no Beit Lahia, there is no Beit Hanoun, [the military] are currently operating in Jabalia and are essentially cleansing the area of Arabs.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar quickly denounced Ya’alon’s statements, condemning them as irresponsible and baseless. On X, Sa’ar wrote, “The irresponsible comments of former minister Moshe Ya’alon are incorrect and slander Israel without a basis. I call on him to retract his comments.”
{Matzav.com}