Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office condemned an opinion piece published in Haaretz, in which journalist Gideon Levy called the commander of the Central Command, Major General Avi Blot, "the blood general, a war criminal." The statement said that "Haaretz newspaper does not allow freedom of expression - it allows incitement without pause." It further stated that "Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly rejects the despicable accusations against the Central Command commander and against the settlers in Judea and Samaria. These are antisemitic blood libels characteristic of our haters around the world. The Prime Minister backs and strengthens Major General Blot and IDF soldiers."