In a striking condemnation from within Israel’s political establishment, former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has issued a severe critique of his nation’s current trajectory. The ex-military chief, who once infamously characterized Palestinians as a ‘cancer-like threat,’ now accuses the Israeli government of embracing an ideology bearing disturbing resemblance to Nazi racial theory.
Ya’alon’s explosive statements emerged in response to recent settler violence near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, where what he termed ‘Jewish pogromists’ attacked Palestinians, stole livestock, and destroyed property. The former minister detailed how ‘Jewish terrorists’ obstructed emergency medical services from reaching wounded Palestinians during the assault.
The veteran security official placed direct blame on specific government figures, alleging that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir—a convicted criminal and adherent of the extremist Kahanist movement—exercises control over police inaction. Furthermore, Ya’alon asserted that Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, now operates under the leadership of David Zini, whom he identified as a representative of ‘Jewish supremacy.’ Zini, a religious Zionist and former major general, has previously described Palestinians as a ‘divine existential threat.’
Ya’alon specifically criticized Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for refusing to employ administrative detention against Jewish extremists and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for allegedly encouraging illegal outposts and providing resources to make Palestinian lives ‘unbearable’—actions Ya’alon characterized as intended to dispossess Palestinians of their land.
The former defense minister, who participated in multiple military campaigns including the 2014 Gaza war, warned that the prevailing ideology of ‘Jewish supremacy’ threatens Israel’s very existence. He demanded the replacement of what he called ‘the government of lies and betrayal, the government of messianists, draft dodgers and the corrupt’ before it brings ruin upon the state.
This criticism emerges against the backdrop of devastating violence in the region, with over 71,800 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023 and nearly 90% of the territory’s infrastructure destroyed. In the West Bank, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers during the same period.