Netanyahu decries ‘blood libel’ against IDF general tarred as ‘war criminal’ in Haaretz op-ed

Prime Minister Netanyahu “strongly rejects” what he calls “vile accusations” made against Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth in a Haaretz opinion column, after Bluth remarked that the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir would “pay a heavy price” following a shooting attack by one of its residents.

The premier “strongly rejects the vile accusations against [Bluth] and against the settlers in Judea and Samaria. These are antisemitic blood libels characteristic of our enemies around the world,” writes his office in a statement, using the Biblical term for the West Bank.

“The prime minister expresses his full support for and strengthens Maj. Gen. Bluth and the IDF soldiers who operate day by day to eradicate terror in Judea and Samaria. They do so with determination and with uncompromising morality, and we all salute them,” adds the statement.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir similarly defended Bluth, hours after Haaretz published a piece by firebrand columnist Gideon Levy in which Bluth is described as a “general of bloodshed,” a “war criminal,” and an “uberkommandant,” an apparent reference to a Nazi-style military rank.

After an attack by a resident of al-Mughayyir, the IDF uprooted thousands of olive trees in the village and imposed a three-day curfew. Bluth’s remarks were criticized for seeming to endorse collective punishment, though the IDF later said the uprooting of trees was an act of operational necessity to clear vegetation that enabled the gunman to flee, and senior officers emphasized his moral conduct and commitment to distinguishing civilians from terrorists.

Netanyahu’s statement accuses Haaretz of “allowing nonstop incitement,” after Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has called on the IDF to cut off contact with Haaretz in light of the column.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this post.