Deputy Economy Minister Yair Golan (Meretz) excoriated Jews who remained in Homesh after the terror attack last month that killed Yehuda Dimentman, h’yd , calling them “subhuman.”

Dimentman, z’l, learned at the yeshivah in Homesh and was killed in a shooting attack last month when terrorists fired at his car as he left the settler outpost, which is unrecognized by the government. In the wake of the attack, Jews in the area set up additional structures which were quickly razed by security forces. The yeshivah in Homesh, which has been quietly active for 15 years is also illegal and the Jews there fear it will also be razed by the government.

In an interview with the Knesset Channel on Thursday morning about the issues in Homesh, Golan said: “[The settlers in Homesh] aren’t people, they’re subhuman. They’re despicable people, the perversion of the Jewish people. It’s forbidden to back them, they must be forcibly removed from there. This extremist nationalist rampage will bring disaster upon all of us.”

A storm of criticism arose shortly after the interview. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett slammed his coalition member: “Yair Golan’s words about the settlers in Homesh are outrageous, stereotypic and borders on a blood libel. Settlers in Yehudah and Shomron are the pioneers of today.”

Many other members of the coalition, including Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Culture Minister Chili Tropper also condemned Golan’s words.

Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu wrote: “The settlers in Yehudah and Shomron aren’t ‘subhuman’ like Deputy Minister Yair Golan – a member of Bennett’s government – called them today. The settlers are Zionist pioneers who are settling the land of our ancestors. After this shameful statement, which is taken directly from Nazi terminology against the Jewish people, Bennett must fire Golan today.”

Yamina leader Ayelet Shaked wrote: “Yair Golan’s words are a disgrace and shame his past. The settlers of Homesh are pioneers, settlers of the land and lovers of Eretz Yisrael. The yeshivah in Homesh spreads Torah and light which expels a little of this darkness. Yair Golan will continue to prattle to himself and these wonderful pioneers will continue to settle the land.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)