Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "vengeful, unintelligent and immoral" on Tuesday.
In an interview with the public service company Kan, he claimed, among other things, that Israel is on its way to becoming a "pariah state".
Israeli government representatives have reacted with anger to Golan's outburst. Defense Minister Israel Katz is now announcing that Golan, who previously served as deputy chief of staff for the military, is forbidden to wear a uniform. He is also not allowed to visit Israeli military bases or serve as a reservist, according to Katz according to the newspaper Haaretz.
In a statement, the Defense Minister calls Golan's comments "blood libel that serves Israel's enemies".
Golan responds to Katz with a counterattack.
"The last time I wore an IDF uniform was on October 7, when I drove south to rescue civilians after your government's terrible failure. I promise to continue doing everything for Israel and its security, and I'm sure you'll continue to flatter Netanyahu and his poison machine", writes opposition leader Golan on X.
