Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal posted a video on Sunday revealing the attempts of the leftist anti-government Brothers in Arms organization to whitewash its calls for IDF refusal in the months before the October 7 massacre.

The report comes after Democrats chairman Yair Golan announced last week that one of the leaders of Brothers in Arms, Omri Ronen, is joining his party. The announcement prompted some social media users to remind Israelis of Ronen’s actions before the massacre, including calling for widespread IDF refusal and appearing on 60 Minutes—slandering Israel and the IDF to the entire world and provoking Israel’s enemies by saying that IDF refusal is weakening Israel’s security.

After the organization’s efforts to harm Israel bore fruit and the October 7 massacre occurred, Brothers in Arms held a highly publicized campaign to assist IDF soldiers and evacuees, claiming that the organization transformed itself into an assistance organization. While they actually did distribute supplies to IDF soldiers (although many units refused to receive anything from the notorious organization), they later reverted to their political activities.

Segal stated in the video: “Eyal Naveh, one of the leaders of the Brothers in Arms movement, waited for Shabbat—when I can’t respond—to upload a video saying: ‘How did you call us thugs after we helped you in real time—after the October 7 massacre?’”

“That’s a blatant lie,” Segal asserted. “Five days after the war broke out, the Brothers in Arms organization—which was not fond of me and vice versa—called me to invite me for a tour of its headquarters.”

Segal said that he happily agreed to the request, with the goal of using his influence to encourage unity during that harrowing time. And afterward, at the request of Naveh, he “held his nose” and published a post in support of the organization.

Segal noted: “I have to note that I’ve been at many headquarters, and I’ve assisted many volunteer organizations, and I’ve never seen an organization that was so obsessed with public relations—branding and publicity—as Brothers in Arms. Many people support giving to others secretly. Brothers in Arms supported ‘giving secretly’ as long as everyone knew about it. That’s why the sandwiches they distributed were branded, and the volunteers always wore Brothers in Arms T-shirts.”

Segal added that he regretted posting in support of the organization when he later realized its true intentions. “Well, as it turned out, the goal for Naveh and his friends at Brothers in Arms was less to help the public and more to whitewash their reputation and remove their sin of calling for IDF refusal,” he said.

“All this was an attempt to erase that crime of mass IDF refusal pre-October 7—when Naveh yelled out the names of the IDF units that would refuse to serve, the call to break apart the people’s army, and the threat to harm state security—and the confirmation that his actions did indeed harm Israel’s security.”

Segal concluded: “I have news for you, Naveh—it will never be erased.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)