The backlash to his inappropriate remarks during a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony last week continues for IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Major-General Yair Golan, who compared Israel today to Nazi Germany.
He spoke of the horrors of the Holocaust, and cited that alarming there are some parallels pertaining to what occurred in Nazi Germany and Israel today.
Needless to say the high-ranking officer later explained he in no way meant to draw a direct comparison from then to Israel today, but his remarks opened the floodgates of criticism from cabinet ministers, government leaders and many others. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon did however come to his defense, stating the criticism was just an excuse to harm the IDF and its leaders in the political arena. Ya’alon explained how the military’s commanding officers must act as a moral compass and set the IDF standards and that is all he was trying to do.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the start of the Sunday weekly cabinet meeting however decided to join the open critics of Golan, telling the media, “This Cabinet meeting is taking place between Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day and Independence Day. The State of Israel is a marvel of history and we are all proud of its achievements and of the IDF.
“Many things have been said recently about the State of Israel. There is no country that does not have displays of intolerance and violence, but Israeli democracy is strong. It condemns these displays and it deals with them according to the law and by other means.
“The comparison that was made in IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan’s remarks about processes that characterized Nazi Germany 80 years ago is infuriating. The remarks are fundamentally incorrect. They should not have been made at any time much less now. They do injustice to Israeli society and cause a belittling of the Holocaust. The Deputy Chief of Staff is an outstanding officer, but his remarks on this issue were utterly mistaken and unacceptable to me.”
Others, including opposition MK Shelly Yacimovich criticized PM Netanyahu for publically admonishing Golan, attacking those who “dare” to intimate the IDF deputy chief is comparing Israel today to anything connecting to the Shoah.
It is reported that PM Netanyahu also admonished DM Ya’alon for publically backing Golan’s remarks.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
During WW II, the Zionists did indeed behave like Nazis (selekting which Jews were worthy of saving and who were, like “dust”, would “pass”, and would be murdered by the Nazis instead).
The Zionists were responsible for so much damage to our people during the Holocaust, directly and otherwise. On top of this, the Zionists further abuse the memory of the kedoshim as propaganda for Zionst shmad.