Jewish Home Chairman and Economics Minister Naftali Bennett has called on leftists and pundits to attack him - but not other Givati soldiers - if they are going to call to launch a criminal investigation into the IDF for its actions during Operation Protective Edge. 

"In the past few days I've come to the defense of soldiers from the Givati Brigade, after talk of opening up a criminal investigation of them - I repeat: a criminal investigation of them - for their actions under fire after the abduction of officer Hadar Goldin by Hamas," Bennett stated. "Let me state in no uncertain terms: there will be no investigation of courage."

"The Givati Brigade soldiers deserve a medal of honor, not a lawyer," he added.

Bennett then addressed the criticism levied against him for this view. 

"After expressing my position on this, a calculated, orchestrated campaign was mounted against me for my alleged responsibility - as a commander - in the Kfar Kana massacre 20 years ago," Bennett said. "Twenty years ago in the spring of '96, yes, I went into Lebanon, to defend the residents of the north, and for eight days and nights, together with 20 of my soldiers, we did exactly that."

"I'm not apologizing for it; I'm proud of it." 

Bennett added that several other Givati soldiers had also spoken to the media in his defense, and he thanked them for their loyalty and their friendship in doing so. 

He then noted that he is sure "someone is sitting on Google" to make up stories against him and his time in the IDF, and he stated that he is fine with that - but urged pundits to "leave Givati soldiers alone!" 

"I must say that I don't understand what incentive an Israeli can have, a Jew can have, to invest all of his time and effort, and specifically his writing skills, to defame the soldiers of the Givati Brigade, the bravest soldiers in the world who value friendship the most in the world," he continued.

"Whoever acts like this to the soldiers from Protective Edge has a perverted moral compass, was never in the field of battle, and is unfitting for the sacrifice that they gave for him then, and that they continue to give at these very moments on Israel's borders."