Ehud Olmert's Gaza claims ignite political firestorm in Israel
Former Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, accuses his country of committing war crimes in Gaza, claiming that the casualties among Palestinians are reaching "monstrous proportions." His words have sparked a significant controversy in Israel.
Ehud Olmert, who served as Israel's Prime Minister from 2006 to 2009, stated in an article published in Haaretz that Israel is waging a war in Gaza without purpose or plan, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians and many Israeli soldiers. Olmert, a former member of the Likud party, to which the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also belongs, described the government as a "criminal gang."
Ehud Olmert commented on Israel's actions
Olmert emphasized that the actions in Gaza have nothing to do with legitimate war aims, and their effect is turning Gaza into a humanitarian disaster area. In the past, Olmert claimed that Israel does not commit war crimes, but recent events have altered his opinion.
— What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. It’s the result of government policy – knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated — he wrote.
Controversies surrounding Olmert's statements
Olmert's statements have led to a storm in Israel. Far-right parties condemned his words, and Education Minister Yoav Kisch accused him of "incitement and sticking a knife in their backs." Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Olmert of participating in a "diplomatic campaign, in a propaganda war and in legal warfare against the state of Israel and the IDF."
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel is "destroying everything that’s left of the Gaza Strip," and the army is "finally" targeting Hamas's civilian infrastructure. Smotrich stressed that the IDF is eliminating "everyone who holds up Hamas’s civilian rule."
International reactions
Olmert's statements have elicited various reactions on the international stage. In an interview with the BBC, Olmert described the conflict as a "war without purpose," which caused outrage in Israel. Former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Yair Golan, also criticised Israel's actions, saying that "a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations."
Some Israeli politicians, like Moshe Feiglin, made extreme statements, claiming that "every child in Gaza is an enemy" and that Israel should "occupy Gaza and settle it."
