Yair Golan, a former Israeli general and the leader of the country’s left-wing opposition party, has been barred from wearing an Israeli military uniform, entering a military base or serving as a reservist, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.

Before retiring, Golan had served as the army’s deputy chief of staff. Katz cited Golan’s remarks on Tuesday criticising the government’s policies in Gaza.

“Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don’t return to acting like a sane country,” Golan told Israeli public radio in an interview.

  • Dasus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 day ago

    I mean for about a quarter of a century they’ve been paying young adults to come and listen to propaganda in Israel.

    It is the largest educational tourism organization in the world.

    Trips also often include a Mega Event for all participants featuring speeches by dignitaries, including the Israeli Prime Minister, and musical performances by popular Israeli artists. Oh, my bad, not “propaganda”, “educational tourism”.

    The tours also include a 5- to 10-day mifgash (Hebrew for ‘encounter’) with Israeli peers, usually soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces. The stated purpose for the mifgash is for the participants and the soldiers to get to know each other and to better understand each other’s worldview and Jewish identity.

    Oh yes, I’m sure the IDF wants their soldiers to better understand “other worldviews”. /S

    Birthright trips have been described as a form of propaganda.[48][49][50] Jewish Currents wrote, “Birthright has served as one of the most effective propaganda campaigns on behalf of the Israeli government and its occupation of the Palestinian territories.”[51] The organization has been scrutinized for the large proportion of its funding coming from major Trump and Netanyahu backer Adelson.[31]

    In 2006, Salon.com alleged that Birthright Israel screened out applicants for political reasons.[52]

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthright_Israel

    Well at least there’s a tiny hint of semblance of balance on Wikipedia.