Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza? Israel's Ex-defense Chief Warns, Extremist Ministers Confirm - Haaretz Today - Haaretz.com
Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon caused a political storm over the weekend in both Israel and internationally after stating that the military he once commanded is currently engaged in ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza.
Ya'alon, a former member of the ruling Likud party and a hawk on security issues, was attacked by members of the Netanyahu government for his statement and was accused of causing considerable harm to Israel's international standing.
In a series of interviews to the Israeli media on Sunday, he doubled down on his comments, highlighting the fact that all he had done was simply listen – and trust – the words of the far-right ministers in the government.
These politicians, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, speak openly and proudly of depleting Gaza's population by half and building settlements on the ruins of the Strip's destroyed cities and villages.
Israel's critics around the world will celebrate Ya'alon's words and use them to argue that the war Israel has been waging in Gaza since the October 7 attack is illegitimate. But these people, and their bad faith arguments, are a distraction from the real problem: Those inside the Israeli government who may protest Ya'alon's claim, but in practice are working every day to make it the state's official policy.
Israel had legitimate reasons to go to war following the October 7 massacre Hamas carried out on Israeli civilians. More than a year on, Israel still has valid reasons to fight Hamas – first and foremost, to secure the release of the 101 hostages still being held by the group in the tunnels of Gaza.
But for Smotrich, Ben-Gvir and the other extremists in the Netanyahu government, this war isn't really about the hostages and hasn't been for a long time. They oppose every reasonable suggestion for a hostage deal and push to prolong the war at all costs – because their vision for how this war should end is not far from the harsh words Ya'alon used. They want to empty the Gaza Strip – or at least parts of it – of the Palestinian population, and then take over the land and build settlements.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of an Israeli citizen who was kidnapped by Hamas from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, said on Saturday that Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are "rushing to pave roads and establish settlements right above the hostages' heads." Her statement isn't as politically explosive as Ya'alon's, but it should shock supporters of Israel the world over and help everyone understand what's at stake in this critical moment.
Haaretz Today is our daily newsletter summing up the main events of the day in Israel and the region with a fresh perspective on the stories dominating headlines. Click here to sign up for the latest news from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Haaretz's team of writers and editors.