IDF bars Bogie Yaalon from military bases following 'ethnic cleansing' controversy

Defense Minister Israel Katz has decided to bar former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe "Bogie" Yaalon from visiting IDF bases, due to his claim that Israel was committing ethnic cleansing in the war in Gaza.

Yaalon had made his statement in December of 2024 to Democrat TV, a hard left outlet.

During an interview, according to CNN, the former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister said that Israel was turning into a messianic and fascist state, saying that Israel's efforts to evacuate civilians from northern Gaza to the humanitarian zone were "ethnic cleansing."

Yaalon said that the IDF's destruction of Beit Lahia and other areas in the Gaza Strip was ostensible proof of Israel's intent not to protect civilian lives during intense urban combat, but rather to force Palestinians to permanently leave their homes in the Strip regardless.

After his comments caused an uproar, Yaalon refused to apologize for his comments, claiming that politicians were "corrupting" the IDF and that the actions in northern Gaza were clearly "ethnic cleansing."

While he began his political life on the right, serving as Defense Minister under a Netanyahu government, he has since had a falling out with Netanyahu and become increasingly critical not only of the Prime Minister but of the right in general, often attending protests calling for Netanyahu's ouster.