Democrats chairman Yair Golan on Motzei Shabbos tried to backtrack on the outrageous statements he made last week about IDF soldiers “killing babies as a hobby.” Speaking in an interview with Channel 12, Golan said: “Of course, Israel doesn’t kill babies as a hobby. Israel has not committed war crimes in Gaza.” He excused himself by saying that his statements were directed at the government, claiming that the goal of the war in Gaza is “political.” He then claimed that there is no purpose of the war in Gaza, falsely stating that Hamas has already been “militarily defeated.” The interviewer asked Golan about the harsh statements he himself made following the October 7 assault, when he advocated for starving the residents of Gaza. Golan claimed that those statements are no longer relevant. “What was right then is not right today,” he claimed. “At the beginning of the war, I believed it was necessary to apply far more massive pressure on Hamas.” He did not explain why these steps are no longer necessary or relevant. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Friday that due to Golan’s blood libel against Israel, he ordered the IDF to bar him from wearing the IDF uniform and entering military bases. Katz added that he will support the advancement of legislation in the Knesset that will authorize the revocation of military ranks from reserve officers for libelous statements against the IDF. In the interview, Golan expressed defiance to Katz’s order, claiming that “the defense minister lacks the authority to deny me access to IDF bases.” “When I need to enter bases, I’ll present my qualifications as a general and I assume they’ll me in,” he said. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)