JERUSALEM: Israel’s minister of defence said on Friday that he would seek to bar left-wing politician Yair Golan from reserve duty and forbid him from wearing a military uniform or entering army bases following anti-war remarks that sparked an uproar.

Government officials and opposition leaders were united in their condemnation of Golan — a former major general — after he said in a radio interview this week that “a sane country… does not kill babies for a hobby”.

Golan later clarified that he was taking aim at the government’s policies, not individual soldiers, and warned that Israel’s conduct of the conflict in Gaza could make it a “pariah state”.

Defence Minister Israel Katz, accusing the politician of slander, announced on Friday he had “decided to order (the military) to no longer call up Yair Golan for reserve service, and to ban him from wearing the uniform of (the army) and from entering military bases”.

He added that Golan’s statements “serve the enemies of Israel” and could contribute to international prosecutions of soldiers, saying there was “no place for people like Golan in public life”.

Responding to the decision, Golan said: “The last time I wore an (army) uniform, it was Oct 7, when I went down to the south to save civilians after your government’s terrible security failure.” He added he would “continue to do everything for Israel and its security”.

Golan, a vocal opponent of Netanyahu’s government, has been a divisive figure since a 2016 speech in which he appeared to draw parallels between Israeli society and the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1930s, but he later won praise for his actions on Oct 7.

A survey on voter preference published on Friday by the Maariv newspaper, showed that if an election were held immediately, Golan’s party would win just seven seats in parliament, down from 11 a week before. Since ramping up its offensive in Gaza in recent days, Israel has come under increasing international pressure to dial back its campaign and allow more aid into the conflict-stricken territory.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2025