Israel being dragged down path of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza, says former defence minister

Israel’s former defence minister Moshe Ya’alon has warned that Israel is being “dragged down a path of ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip”.

Speaking on Saturday, Ya’alon, who also served as IDF chief of staff, attacked the far-right elements in Israel’s coalition government in an interview with Lucy Aharish on DemocratTV.

“Those leading us now are dragging us toward nothing less than destruction,” he said.

“The path we are currently being led down involves conquering, annexing, and ethnic cleansing. Look at the northern Gaza Strip —transfer, call it whatever you want — and establish Jewish settlements. That’s the reality. Now, if you look at the polls, 70 per cent of the public, sometimes more, supports a certain vision: Jewish, democratic, liberal, and so on, along with separation. We cannot lose sight of that.”

A visibly surprised Aharish pressed him: “You just used a phrase I never thought I’d hear from you — ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Is that really what you think? That we’re heading in that direction?”

Ya’alon responded: “Why say ‘heading’? What’s happening there right now? Beit Lahiya is gone, Beit Hanoun is gone. Operations are underway in Jabalya, essentially clearing the area of Arabs.”

Ya’alon is a right-wing politician who was a Likud member for years and defence minister under Netanyahu in 2013-2016, but in recent years became a harsh critic of Netanyahu and his governments’ policies.

In April, Ya'alon came out against National Unity MKs Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who were war cabinet members at the time.

"Half a year into a crisis with no end, when the only accomplishment of this government of Messianists, draft-dodgers, and crooks is its own survival (thanks to you) – it’s time for soul-searching,” he wrote to them in a message.