In a stunning and deeply polarizing display, Yair Golan—the former IDF major general turned leader of the far-left “Democrats” party—has torched his image as a moderate voice of reason and recast himself as a provocateur echoing the most venomous anti-Israel propaganda. Once championing a platform to "save Israel from extremism," Golan has now veered into dangerous ideological extremism of his own, unleashing accusations so incendiary they’ve found eager amplification by Hamas-aligned outlets.
During an appearance on Kan’s “This Morning” program, Golan made a statement that sent shockwaves through the Israeli political and military establishment: “A sane country does not kill babies as a hobby.” These words—grotesque, inflammatory, and tragically familiar—mirror the very blood libels long used to justify antisemitic violence. Yet now, shockingly, they’ve been resurrected by a retired Israeli general on national television. Not shockingly though, his words are being used by those who have worked to discredit Israel by spreading disinformation, and even rewriting historical events.
2/ The Red Cross has failed the hostages in Hamas captivity:
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) May 8, 2025
- The Red Cross hasn’t visited a single hostage in Gaza
- Red Cross officials were complicit in Hamas's humiliating hostage handovers
- Hostage families were equated with those of convicted Palestinian prisoners pic.twitter.com/2nuwfDOO3H
To no one's surprise, outlets like the Palestine Chronicle and Al Jazeera swiftly pounced on the statement, using it as “evidence” to reinforce narratives they've been spinning since October 7, 2023—long before a single IDF soldier entered Gaza. But the true source of the data used to back such narratives remains dubious at best. The so-called Gaza Health Ministry—a propaganda arm of Hamas masquerading as a civilian body—has been widely discredited by international watchdogs. Even the International Red Cross, typically neutral to a fault, acknowledges its reliance on information from Hamas-affiliated sources on the ground.
This is HUGE!
— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) February 16, 2024
The Red Crescent actively participated in the October 7 massacre
Footage released today shows them assisting Hamas terrorists at the Erez Crossing attack
The Red Crescent is officially recognized by the Red Cross and must abide by the Geneva convention pic.twitter.com/Yqib6eteAJ
Still, this didn’t stop Golan from handing Israel’s enemies the soundbite of the year.
Golan’s tirade didn’t end there. He accused the Netanyahu government of using the Gaza war not to dismantle Hamas or secure the release of hostages, but to cling to political power. “This government is full of vindictive, unintelligent, and immoral characters,” he declared, branding the current leadership as religious hypocrites, un-Jewish in their values, and morally bankrupt. “It cannot be that we, the Jewish people, who suffered persecution, pogroms, and genocide, become the perpetrators of such horrors,” he added—drawing a morally grotesque equivalence that some critics say borders on Holocaust inversion.
Critics from across the political spectrum immediately condemned Golan’s statements as reckless, defamatory, and dangerous—not only to Israel’s global standing, but to the safety of IDF soldiers fighting to protect Israeli civilians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a searing response:
“I strongly condemn Yair Golan’s wild incitement against our heroic soldiers and the State of Israel. Golan, who once compared Israel to the Nazis while in uniform, has reached a new moral low.”
אני מגנה בתוקף את ההסתה הפרועה של יאיר גולן נגד חיילינו הגיבורים ונגד מדינת ישראל.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 20, 2025
צה״ל הוא הצבא המוסרי בעולם, וחיילינו נאבקים במערכה על עצם קיומינו.
גולן, שמעודד סרבנות והשווה בעבר את ישראל לנאצים בעודו על מדים, הגיע כעת לשפל חדש כשטען שישראל ״הורגת תינוקות כתחביב״.
בזמן…
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said bluntly:
“A person who likens Israeli society to the Nazi regime and slanders the IDF in wartime should have no place in public life.”
From the right, condemnation came thick and fast.
Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, declared:
“The IDF is the most moral army in the world. Golan’s slander hurts our soldiers and damages Israel’s security.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar went further:
“Yair Golan’s blood libel will not be forgiven. He is fueling antisemitism worldwide at a time when Israel is fighting for its very existence.”
עלילת הדם של יאיר גולן על מדינת ישראל ועל צבאה - לא תסלח. מה שגולן אמר יהיה בוודאות דלק על מדורת האנטישמיות בעולם. זאת, בשעה שישראל נלחמת על חייה מול קואליציה שפועלת להשמידה.
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) May 20, 2025
Even Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister, delivered a damning personal rebuke:
“The real question is not how such a harmful figure became a major general in the IDF—but how a person so damaging to the IDF ever rose to that rank.”
Social media erupted as well, with users accusing Golan of attempting to inherit the mantle of the now-defunct Meretz Party by courting the radical fringe of the political left. Critics pointed out that his comments are tailor-made for anti-Israel propaganda and have already been weaponized across social platforms and international media outlets hostile to the Jewish state.
In the interview, Golan also reiterated his belief that Israel’s war objectives are mutually exclusive:
“You can’t both bring back the abductees and destroy Hamas completely. I’ve said from the beginning—priorities must be chosen.”
Yet for many Israelis, especially after the horrors of October 7, that dichotomy is a false one. Polls show overwhelming support for the dual goals of eradicating Hamas and returning the hostages—a mission embraced by both the government and the IDF.
As the war continues and Israel faces mounting international scrutiny and growing antisemitism, one thing is clear: Yair Golan’s rhetoric has crossed a red line. And in doing so, he hasn’t just betrayed the trust of many who once saw him as a principled leader—he has armed Israel’s enemies with the most dangerous weapon of all: a lie told in Hebrew, by one of its own.
