Israel government is ‘messianic’, ‘corrupt’: ex-DM says

Former Israeli Minister of defence and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon speaks during a protest against the Israeli government’s plan to overhaul the justice system on July 15, 2023 in Jerusalem, Israel [Noam Galai/Getty Images]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “is losing control” of negotiations with Hamas, former Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon warned yesterday, describing the ruling coalition as “messianic, evasive, and corrupt.”

Ya’alon, leader of the right-wing Telem Party, added in a post on X that the US administration “understands that the Israeli government is willing to abandon/sacrifice the hostages […] and is not interested in ending the war.”

Commenting on news that the US administration had held direct talks with Hamas, he said: “”The bad news”: 1. The US is breaking an important principle and talking directly to a terrorist organization. 2. The Israeli government is losing control of the negotiations.”

America, he added, has decided to act according to its own interests and those of Israel, but not those of the Israeli government.

Stressing the urgent need for change, Ya’alon concluded: “To save the country, and also the kidnapped people, we must replace the messianic, evasive, and corrupt government. And it would be great if it were one hour earlier!”

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