Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, May 22: Yair Golan, former general and opposition leader, sharply condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza, accusing the government of ‘killing babies as a hobby’ and ‘expelling a population.’ His remarks, targeting Israel’s far-right government rather than its soldiers, triggered intense backlash across the political spectrum.

Speaking on Israeli radio, Golan called Israel a pariah state for fighting civilians, a rare public acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering within Israel. Most Israeli discourse focuses on the October 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing hostage crisis, with less attention on Gaza’s heavy civilian toll.

More than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, have died in Gaza, and 90% of its population displaced. Yet Israeli media centers on the trauma from Hamas’ attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages.

While former PM Ehud Olmert said Golan’s words reflect many Israelis’ thoughts, Netanyahu condemned them as ‘antisemitic blood libels.’ Opposition leader Benny Gantz called for a retraction. Some accused Golan of inspiring a recent attack on Israeli embassy staff in Washington, which he denied.

Activists believe Golan’s criticism signals a growing awareness of Gaza’s suffering among some Israelis, though mainstream opinion remains supportive of the war. Golan’s political weight adds significance to his rare public critique of the war’s impact on Palestinian civilians.

The controversy highlights a brewing national debate on the human cost of the war, long overshadowed by security concerns and the hostage crisis. Whether this debate will widen remains uncertain.