Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told BBC on Tuesday that what Israel “is doing now in Gaza, is very close to a war crime.
Outrageous? Certainly. But what’s more interesting is why he said it. After all, Olmert is far from the only Israeli who once sat at the top of the political and security echelon, and now spends his free time making outrageous accusations against Israel and its leadership.
Who else am I thinking of?
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In September 2023, former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo told the Associated Press “there is an apartheid state” in Judea and Samaria.
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In an interview that same month with CBS, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak said protests against judicial reform will continue, adding, “it might take time, some people might lose their lives along the way. I told the people we will have to face toil and sweat and tears, hopefully no blood, but there might be some violence.”
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In November and December 2024, former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said “the path we are being dragged down is one of occupation, annexation, and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip,” adding, “war crimes are being committed there.”
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And just this week, former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan accused Israel of killing babies in Gaza “as a hobby.”
What’s going on here? How do former security chiefs and prime ministers—and there are many more to include in this list—go from the most respected positions in Israel, to making comments one would expect from radical activists?
Let’s break it down.
First: Bibi Derangement Syndrome. Yes, it’s a real thing—in fact, it’s hard to miss if you closely follow Israeli political discourse. This is not a defense of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but rather the simple observation that within Israel’s opposition movement are those who harbor such a visceral, personal hatred for the prime minister that they’ve lost the ability to hold rational political discussions.
This then leads to the next problem. For those who so intensely hate Netanyahu, there’s an easy way to target him: Demonize his most important and controversial policy, which is currently the war against Hamas. And so, when figures such as Olmert go on BBC and claim the IDF is almost committing war crimes in Gaza, they view it as a way to increase the pressure against the man they hate—without taking into account the damage they are causing Israel in the international arena.
There’s also another factor, which i24NEWS’ Ushi Derman explored in a report in March, after interviewing numerous psychologists and former senior military officials.
Many of those interviewed provided a similar theory: After holding one of the most influential and busy positions in Israel, these men, now in early-age retirement, suddenly find themselves lacking any real influence and with far too much time on their hands.
But this problem has a simple solution: Make outlandish, extreme left-wing statements against the prime minister or IDF, which attract a media frenzy, placing them back in the spotlight.
Of course, one has to wonder, do they actually believe what they’re saying? And if so, were they so extreme even when in office, or did they suddenly have a dramatic change of heart in retirement?
That’s a question for another time.
They just can’t handle the fact that Bibi is there for so long. None would do a better job, not saying Bibi is perfect because non of us is, but to get to the point to damage Israel’s image to the world….it can’t be worse than that.
Let’s not forget that we were our own enemy throughout history
Each time an enemy body rose up against us, there were people from our side helping them
Ask your parents or grandparents or seminary teachers for examples
A pity on their souls
We always have to love each other and respectfully mekarev other Yidden … it’s so easy for a yid to fall victim to the enemy way of thinking … we can even say it comes from a good place but it’s dangerous and very sad
Alternatively, and probably more simply put, they’re right.
But if you are, then you hold views that are heretical and are akin if not actually an apostate!
The theory that their doing it for attention is right, or the actual israeli’s making these statements are right?
This article is embarrassing. Right wing nut jobs will do anything to keep their heads buried in the sand. Bibi has to go and Israel is carrying out war crimes. The whole world including Israel itself is owning up to this except for those extremists on the far right.
The world’s morals has really sunk low. I don’t think any country measured their actions like this against Germany.
And from a Torah perspective, terrorists should be killed before they even carry out their plots.
No right left winged garbage.
Just follow Torah and stop bending backward to please non news who couldn’t care less about you or your opinion anyway.
shame on you
am yisroel chai
Question do war crimes take hold when fighting terrorists or only one army against another , if they would just give back the hostages or better yet don’t start no shitik , won’t be no shitik , When it comes to urban warfare our IDF is by far the greatest ever ratio of terrorist to civilian deaths !!! The USA for example in Afghanistan …look it up What we need to own up to , is the first rashi in Torah , eretz yesroel is solely our land given to us by hashem Seems like you bury your head when… Read more »
You know how many times the Rebbe spoke about the lives of Yidden and what we should do everything to protect them. Everything!
I doubt you are jewish
Since when does COL host an Israeli political pundit? I have much better sources to go to for my Israel coverage than this wingnut.
Please stick to what you know and cover Chabad.
Agreed. Please don’t start this on Col
I love this and don’t want to visit general websites
Let’s not let Western Judeo-X’ian values interfere with our genocide. This is like Amalek! Every person there is a terrorist!
As quoted in article: In November and December 2024, former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said “the path we are being dragged down is one of occupation, annexation, and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip,” adding, “war crimes are being committed there.”. The radical nationalism of the right has exposed the flawed foundation of Zionism. Never again means for all humanity. How can we as Jews forget our humanity at this moment. Innocent people are suffering due to Netanyahu’s actions. Call this what it is a genocide, which is defined by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as referring… Read more »
So people will hide behind this fancy language and let terrorists keep murdering Yidden and raising more terrorists under their nose. Would you be saying the same if the bombs that they sent landed in the US? If OCT 7 targeted Jews in Europe on the same scale? We are not “Zionist”. We are Yidden who care about other Yidden everywhere, who have the right to defend themselves and (once they got it) keep their land (the land Hashem promised to us) instead of giving it away to those who wish to destroy us – to those who say it… Read more »
Jews in particular should have a better understanding of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
And know what are war crimes (parachuting into peaceful towns and killing and raping and taking hostages) and what are not (prosecuting a war and doing whatever possible to prevent them from being able to do such a thing again).
And also understand the difference between the Jews of Europe (who were not killing and raping and so forth) and the Palestinians, who did and do.
מהרסיך ומחרביך ממך יצאו
Weak laws allow Evil to emerge. If these ‘Leftist’ politicians were threatened with flogging they wouldn’t do it.
Stupid state.
I watched the reports on the October 7th in horror. My horror is only compounded by the atrocities Israel has perpetrated using that attack as justification.
Or maybe—just maybe—they actually believe what they’re saying. These are people who led Israel’s security for years. Maybe they’re speaking out because they see real danger, not because they’re bored or hate Bibi. Dismissing every critique as “derangement” avoids having to engage with the substance of what they’re warning about.
the answer is simple they have accepted bribes
Follow the money,always follow the money….
You can’t argue self defense anymore and it’s so sad and painful for us Jews not to be able to be objective for once! I’ll give three easy examples. 1) We all know Hamas hides among civilian population no doubt -agreed- but 90% of the infrastructure is destroyed which would be ok if Israel even attempted to prove that there was a possible threat in majority of these buildings … they have not. Israel has destroyed almost every school/hospital/university in Gaza, have there been some level of proof in some instances that Hamas was there of course but far few… Read more »
Schools, UN buildings, homes… Right right nothing’s wrong there
A Chassidishe home can give a person the ability to be a Chassidishe person no matter what lhavdil what growing up in a home where you are taught kill the Jews from the cradle
Jewish mother’s sing rozinkhes mit mandelen and Torah is di beste sechorah while mothers there are singing kill the jews
Technically there should be so many Yidden no longer alive and the only reason that thousands and thousands aren’t murdered every time Hamas shoots another rocket is that Eretz Yisroel is ארץ אשר עיני ה’ אלוקיך בה מראשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה
They need to reevaluate their strategy!!! Give everyone the opportunity to leave and then start carpet bombing Gaza!!! Except where the hostages are, go save them, quickly!!!!! And kill all the terrorists to get there!! Quickly and efficiently! And if they surrender, also kill them!! It isn’t complicated!! If they weren’t a terrorist, they should have left, and if they are, they gotta die, ASAP!
Best line:
“Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “The question is not how a retired general became a hostile element to the IDF, but how a person hostile to the IDF became a general…”
So perfectly expressed.
Olmert did his best to destroy Israel (by giving it away) while in office. He later went to prison. Now he’s back trying to sabotage Israel. For anyone confused by the media unrelenting blitz, there is no starvation in Gaza other than the hostages. 22,000 did trucks have gone in so far. They brought in so much food, there is enough to give every Arab in Gaza 3,500 calories per day for the next six months.
How is it that out of 2 million people living in Gaza, there wasn’t even 1 – just 1 – tzadik in Sedom who tried to free a hostage on his own? Not a single case of anyone trying to do something good. Even in WWII you had gentiles risking their lives to help a Jew. In Gaza, not even one human acting like a human!
If you talk like a terrorist, act like a terrorists you should be treated like a terrorist
On October 7- as they paraded and cheered on our dead and captive Jewish brothers and sisters – every person in Gaza sealed their own fate. And clearly stated where they stand.
A terrorist supporter is a terrorist.
Hamas considers all Israelis as complicit in the occupation and considers any attack on civilians as justified. You seem to be parroting this abhorrent practice.
It’s called war. Both Ideological war and physical war unfortunately.
As for who is correct and will win… כל מעשיו הגיד לעמו לתת להם נחלת גוים
The land is ours and while we invite all to live there in peace, those that are actively on the path of destruction, should be destroyed.
It’s really quite simple and logical. If you know how to think of course.
All humans have a right to live. Once we abandon such principles we no longer are principaled, moral individuals. Rather we begin looking to theology to justify our barbarity.
The human being’s “right to live” can be forfeited by their actions toward other human beings’ “right to live.”
But isn’t that what the hamas jihadis follow and are doing to their own,by firing from houses with babies in it?
Golus scrambles our brains, invite them to a Tanya Shiur.
the worst type of creation is a liberal Jew. throughout history they tried their best to destroy the jewish nation. the Israeli liberals are worse than the American jewish liberals
This is not an existential war. The cruelty and violence cannot be justified.
Possible there is the same one or two individuals with liberal ideas,most of us are pro israel and know who is really behind the “genocide” ,its the hamas that started a genocide against Israel on Oct 7,and are now using their own as human shields
Avodah zoro is a terrible aveira.
Bibi’s been in office for decades and 10/7 happened under his watch. How’s it possible that he has not been shown the door yet? Is there zero accountability in Israel and the top guy continues being PM even after the worst tragedy struck under this man’s watch?!
Stop acting so innocent. Most people appreciate Bibi. I’m sorry tht u think it was a waste to.kill sinwars brother which bh bh happened as u thought no need to continue fighting. Bh bh tht he’s trying to keep israel safer bezras Hashem. Do tshuva,
I don’t think Bibi’s doing enough and his ties to Qatar are not good. I’m all for ridding Gaza of its inhabtants and turning it into a wasteland for a few dacades until it can be rehabilitated.
When did we become so stupid as to think Bibi is the only solution even though he’s been there for decades and 10/7 happened under his watch. Doesn’t he need to take some achrous?!
Ignore a few miserable, or maybe even the same person commenting in support of Palestine to trigger us
This post is about why ex-officials who represented Israeli interests are against what Israel is doing now. Everyone knows that a considerable number of Israelis (and diasporan jews) also think what’s going on in Gaza is not “right”. So why is it newsworthy that some retired officials side with some Israelis and jews – who don’t agree with you? The parsha is not a clearcut one. Collateral damage in a war is not a clean debate. Fighting terrorism is not a clean war. You fight with a pig you’re going to get dirty. Killing our way through Gaza to get… Read more »
Spoken like a liberal. See comment before
This article is correct. There r those who would rather have their brothers killed if it can bring down the govt. א איד א משומד is worse then a goy. The leftists orchestrated Oct 7. There were def collaborators etc. Unreal the evil these leftists had and have. I don’t understand how those officials aren’t arrested for being traitors and for making life insecure for all of us. I must say yimach shmom vzichrom. And to wow and the like, u don’t think those who returned the bibas children in coffins deserve to be eliminated? Your heart bleeds for the… Read more »
I’m not historian, but we have seen a mind virus infect the hearts of evangelicals around america, where they have have turned more into a political movement than a religious one. Lehavdil, I am seeing the same type of obsession happening in unzere politics – using terminology like Bibi Derangement Syndrome and Bibi using terms like Deep State is a clear reference to whats happening in the US as a way to shut down critique. Mamleches Kohanim Ve’Goy Kodosh – can we preserve chabad from falling into the same traps. Enough calling Trump our savior. Enough bringing in right-wing politicians… Read more »
Who exacty is calling Trump “our savior”? Leftists inventing quotes, that’s who. So your “chassidishkeit” apparently involves amplifying libels against your fellow Jews. Spare us your sanctimony.
I do truly hope it’s the one and the same person making the nasty comments against עם ישראל. Watch your mouths, see what happened last evening in D.C.!
Living in Israel!
These politicians were “deep state” (globalists) and still are. Just like in America we have liberals, there’s lefties in Israel, who are anti Torah and unfortunately have been
controlling politics in Israel.
Netanyahu is one thing – but their ideology is what the protests in Israel were about – most of the country being traditional Jews vs the leftie anti Torah Jews. They are not loyal to mainstream Jews.
Hamas must be crippled
The hostages must be returned.
Food and medical supplies must be delivered
Housing and the infrastructure for civil living need to be rebuilt.
1.5 million people are not moving out of Gaza
Maybe 10%- 15%.
The Trump idea is a non starter