Left-wing party leader Yair Golan sparked outrage this morning when in the midst of his latest tirade against the Netanyahu government he claimed that Israeli soldiers were “killing babies as a hobby.”

“Israel is on the path to becoming a pariah state among the nations – like the South Africa of old – if it does not return to behaving like a sane country,” Golan said in an interview with the Kan public broadcaster. “A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies for a hobby, and does not set goals involving the expulsion of populations.”

The heads of other opposition parties quickly condemned Golan.

Naftali Bennett: “Hamas and only Hamas murders babies. While Hamas uses civilians as a shield and wants them to die, our soldiers operate with courage and morals.”

Yair Lapid: “Our soldiers are heroes. Claiming that they kill babies as a hobby is false and only serves our enemies.”

Avigdor Liberman: “I condemn Yair Golan’s remarks. The IDF is the most moral army in the world. Such claims harm our soldiers and the security of the state.”

Benny Gantz: “I urge Yair Golan to retract his extreme and false charge and apologize to the IDF.”

President Isaac Herzog retorted:

“Our sons and daughters on the front lines left behind their hobbies, their families, their jobs, and their lives to defend us. This serious and false slander against IDF soldiers is a red line. Our soldiers are among the most moral in the world, and when they fight with great dedication to defend the people and bring hostages home—that is not a hobby.”

The IDF Spokesman issued an official response, but did not name Golan, who is himself a retired high-ranking army general:

“Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, strongly condemns any statement that casts doubt on the values ​​of IDF operations and the morality of its fighters.

“The IDF and its soldiers operate against our enemies, out of loyalty to IDF values, to law and international law, while uncompromisingly safeguarding the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.

“IDF soldiers operate, and will continue to operate, day and night, on all fronts, with determination and morality – as they have always operated.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scolded Golan for regurgitating the same “antisemitic blood libels” as those spouted by Israel’s detractors:

“Yair Golan has desecrated the memory of the Holocaust before, and today he has tarnished the honor of the IDF. He should be ashamed.”

Recent polls show that if elections were held today, Golan’s party “The Democrats” would become the third largest in the Knesset with 14 seats. Together with other center and left-wing parties, they would succeed in pushing Netanyahu and the right-wing parties to the opposition and forming a majority center-left coalition.

But this latest episode again demonstrates why such a coalition would likely fall apart before completing a full term. The various center and left-wing parties are united only in their hatred for Bibi. On other matters of importance, they hold contrary views.

In recent days, Lapid has stated more than once that Golan is a “radical leftist” and that his true face will be revealed the closer we get to the next election.