Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday that he has instructed the IDF not to summon Democrats party chair Yair Golan for reserve duty in light of his statement on Monday.
Golan holds the rank of Major-General and has nearly 40 years of combat experience.
Golan addressed the war in the Gaza Strip during an interview with KAN Reshet Bet’s This Morning program, saying, “A sane country does not kill babies for a hobby.”
Katz said that Golan will be forbidden from wearing the IDF uniform and entering military bases.
He also stated that he would support legislation that is advancing in the Knesset that would authorize the defense minister to revoke ranks in a formal procedure for reserve officers for statements and behavior "of this kind."
"Golan’s severe statements will be used by Israel’s enemies to continue persecuting IDF soldiers around the world and to petition courts and international tribunals against them in order to arrest them and strip them of their freedom. As defense minister, responsible for the welfare of IDF soldiers, I cannot simply ignore this," Katz's statement reads.
"There is no place for people like Golan in public life, and I expect all public representatives, right and left, to condemn him and distance themselves from his conduct," Katz concluded.
Golan responded to Katz's announcement on X/Twitter, calling him the "Minister of Draft Evasion."
שר ההשתמטות,הפעם האחרונה שלבשתי מדי צה״ל היתה בשבעה באוקטובר כשירדתי דרומה להציל אזרחים בעקבות המחדל הביטחוני הנוראי של ממשלתך. אני מבטיח שאמשיך לעשות הכל למען ישראל וביטחונה, ואני בטוח שאתה תמשיך להתחנף לנתניהו ולמכונת הרעל שלו.
— Yair Golan – יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) May 23, 2025
"The last time I wore the IDF uniform was on October 7th, when I went south to save civilians following the terrible security failure of your government. I promise to continue doing everything for Israel and its security, and I’m sure you will continue to grovel to Netanyahu and his poison machine," Golan said.
Golan clarifies his statements were directed at government, not IDF
Golan said in a press conference on Tuesday that his comment was geared towards the government and not IDF soldiers. He ignored calls from both the coalition and opposition to apologize for his statement, and harshly criticized the government.
"My criticism was aimed at the government, not the IDF. The IDF is my home and my heart. Neither Smotrich nor Ben-Gvir, the draft dodgers, and certainly not Netanyahu, will teach me what combat ethics are or how to defend the IDF. Therefore, I refuse to remain silent when an irresponsible government harms my army. Those who truly care about the IDF must stand courageously against the government. We must protect the IDF and its fighters from this dangerous government," Golan said.
"I turn to my partners in the opposition—if the IDF is as important to you as it is to me, do not cooperate with the poison machine. If you want to save the country, now is the time to unite. Bring the 58 hostages home. End the war. And finally, finally, win," he concluded.
On October 7, two hours after Hamas's rampage began, Golan drove south to rescue Nova Festival survivors. "This is something I never saw previously – not in Beirut, not in the West Bank, not in the Gaza Strip," Golan told Reuters in an interview, reflecting on his decades of service.
During his military service, he served as the IDF deputy chief of staff, commander of the Home Front Command, and commander of the Northern Command.
This is a developing story.
Reuters contributed to this report.
