Former PM Olmert Accuses Israel of Ethnic Cleansing in West Bank
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delivered a scathing critique of the current government's policies, particularly concerning the West Bank, in a recent interview with 103FM radio. Olmert asserted that actions in the territories constitute an attempt at ethnic cleansing, driven by extremist elements aiming to displace Palestinians and pave the way for annexation.
He accused senior ministers, specifically naming Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, of providing direct or indirect support for this systematic violence. Olmert also pointed to alleged bias in law enforcement, noting the reluctance to issue administrative detention orders against Jews and instances where Palestinian victims of nationalist crimes are reportedly arrested instead of perpetrators.
While not directly blaming the IDF Chief of Staff, Olmert warned that as the sovereign authority in the area, the Chief of Staff must immediately halt these actions. He cautioned that failure to do so could lead to the Chief of Staff facing responsibility at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Furthermore, Olmert addressed reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received advance warning from the UAE president about the October 7th Hamas attack. Olmert dismissed the idea that such a high-level political conversation would go undocumented, stating that if Netanyahu received this intelligence and concealed it from security officials, it would be an unforgivable act of treason.
