Latest news with #IsraeliPolitics
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Israeli left-wing chief says govt ‘doesn't represent' the people
Yair Golan said that the vast majority of Israelis want an immediate end to the Gaza war. (Reuters pic) JERUSALEM : Israeli left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan called today for an immediate end to the Gaza war and said that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government no longer represented most Israelis. 'Today the government of Israel doesn't represent the vast majority of Israelis,' said Golan, chairman of the Democrats party and a former deputy army chief, days before a planned parliament vote which the opposition hopes would trigger a general election. He told journalists in a briefing that after more than 20 months of fighting, triggered by Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack, Israel 'should end the war as soon as possible'. Golan's party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel's 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups. But in a country where coalition building is essential to achieving a political majority, even relatively small parties can wield considerable power. Golan, a former deputy minister in a short-lived administration that replaced Netanyahu in 2021-2022, said that the current government – one of the most right-wing in Israel's history – was a threat to democracy. The opposition leader said he represents those 'who want to save Israeli democracy… from a corrupted future' and from the 'messianic-like and nationalistic and extremist vision of a very small faction in the Israeli society'. 'The vast majority wants to keep Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and at the same time a free, egalitarian and democratic state,' Golan said. He said that the vast majority of Israelis wanted to see an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the return of all hostages held by Palestinian rebels in a single exchange deal, and the establishment of a national commission of inquiry into Hamas's unprecedented 2023 attack, arguing that the Netanyahu government was opposed to these objectives. 'I believe that we can reach a hostages deal in a matter of days,' Golan said. 'I believe that by ending the war and freeing the hostages, we will be able to build an alternative to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip.' Criticising the government's Gaza war policies, the former army general has recently drawn condemnation in Israel for saying that 'a sane country… does not kill babies for a hobby'. Golan today also said that most Israelis support legislation that would require ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who are currently largely exempt from military service, to enlist. The issue has sparked tension between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties in his government, with lawmakers threatening to topple the prime minister if no agreement is reached this week. Some opposition parties are seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalise on the ultra-Orthodox revolt. 'The vast majority wants new elections as soon as possible,' Golan said.
LBCI
19 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israel's left-wing leader says war must end, government 'doesn't represent' the people
Israeli left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan called on Monday for an immediate end to the Gaza war and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government no longer represented most Israelis. "Today the government of Israel doesn't represent the vast majority of Israelis," said Golan, chairman of the Democrats party and a former deputy army chief, days before a planned parliament vote which the opposition hopes would trigger a general election. He told journalists in a briefing that after more than 20 months of fighting, Israel "should end the war as soon as possible." Golan's party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel's 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups. But in a country where coalition building is essential to achieving a political majority, even relatively small parties can wield considerable power. Golan, a former deputy minister in a short-lived administration that replaced Netanyahu in 2021-2022, said that the current government -- one of the most right-wing in Israel's history -- was a threat to democracy. The opposition leader said he represents those "who want to save Israeli democracy... from a corrupted future" and the "messianic-like and nationalistic and extremist vision of a very small faction in the Israeli society." "The vast majority wants to keep Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and at the same time a free, egalitarian, and democratic state," Golan said. He said that the vast majority of Israelis wanted to see an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the return of all hostages held by Palestinian militants in a single exchange deal, and the establishment of a national commission of inquiry into Hamas' unprecedented 2023 attack, arguing that the Netanyahu government was opposed to these objectives. "I believe that we can reach a hostage deal in a matter of days," Golan said. "I believe that by ending the war and freeing the hostages, we will be able to build an alternative to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip." Criticizing the government's Gaza war policies, the former army general has recently drawn condemnation in Israel for saying that "a sane country... does not kill babies for a hobby." Golan on Monday also said that most Israelis support legislation that would require ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who are currently largely exempt from military service, to enlist. The issue has sparked tension between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties in his government, with lawmakers threatening to topple the prime minister if no agreement is reached this week. Some opposition parties are seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt. "The vast majority wants new elections as soon as possible," Golan said. AFP
Arab News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Israeli left-wing leader calls for immediate end to Gaza war
JERUSALEM: Israeli left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan called on Monday for an immediate end to the Gaza war and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government no longer represented most Israelis. 'Today the government of Israel does not represent the vast majority of Israelis,' said Golan, chairman of the Democrats party and a former deputy army chief, days before a planned parliament vote which the opposition hopes would trigger a general election. He told journalists in a briefing that after more than 20 months of fighting, Israel 'should end the war as soon as possible.' Golan's party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel's 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups. But in a country where coalition building is essential to achieving a political majority, even relatively small parties can wield considerable power. Yair Golan's party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel's 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups. Golan, a former deputy minister in a short-lived administration that replaced Netanyahu in 2021-2022, said that the current government — one of the most right-wing in Israel's history — was a threat to democracy. The opposition leader said he represents those 'who want to save Israeli democracy ... from a corrupted future' and the 'messianic-like and nationalistic and extremist vision of a very small faction in the Israeli society.' 'The vast majority wants to keep Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and at the same time a free, egalitarian and democratic state,' Golan said. He said that the vast majority of Israelis wanted to see an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the return of all hostages held by Palestinian militants in a single exchange deal, and the establishment of a national commission of inquiry into Hamas's unprecedented 2023 attack, arguing that the Netanyahu government was opposed to these objectives. 'I believe that we can reach a hostage deal in a matter of days,' Golan said. 'I believe that by ending the war and freeing the hostages, we will be able to build an alternative to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip.' Criticizing the government's Gaza war policies, the former army general has recently drawn condemnation in Israel for saying that 'a sane country ... does not kill babies for a hobby.' Golan on Monday also said that most Israelis support legislation that would require ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who are currently largely exempt from military service, to enlist. The issue has sparked tension between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties in his government, with lawmakers threatening to topple the prime minister if no agreement is reached this week. Some opposition parties are seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt. 'The vast majority wants new elections as soon as possible,' Golan said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Left-wing Leader Says War Must End, Government 'Doesn't Represent' The People
Israeli left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan called on Monday for an immediate end to the Gaza war and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government no longer represented most Israelis. "Today the government of Israel doesn't represent the vast majority of Israelis," said Golan, chairman of the Democrats party and a former deputy army chief, days before a planned parliament vote which the opposition hopes would trigger a general election. He told journalists in a briefing that after more than 20 months of fighting, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, Israel "should end the war as soon as possible". Golan's party, a conglomeration of left-wing factions, has only four seats in Israel's 120-member legislature, making it one of its smallest political groups. But in a country where coalition building is essential to achieving a political majority, even relatively small parties can wield considerable power. Golan, a former deputy minister in a short-lived administration that replaced Netanyahu in 2021-2022, said that the current government -- one of the most right-wing in Israel's history -- was a threat to democracy. The opposition leader said he represents those "who want to save Israeli democracy... from a corrupted future" and from the "messianic-like and nationalistic and extremist vision of a very small faction in the Israeli society". "The vast majority wants to keep Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and at the same time a free, egalitarian and democratic state," Golan said. He said that the vast majority of Israelis wanted to see an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the return of all hostages held by Palestinian fighters in a single exchange deal, and the establishment of a national commission of inquiry into Hamas's unprecedented 2023 attack, arguing that the Netanyahu government was opposed to these objectives. "I believe that we can reach a hostages deal in a matter of days," Golan said. "I believe that by ending the war and freeing the hostages, we will be able to build an alternative to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip." Criticizing the government's Gaza war policies, the former army general has recently drawn condemnation in Israel for saying that "a sane country... does not kill babies for a hobby". Golan on Monday also said that most Israelis support legislation that would require ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who are currently largely exempt from military service, to enlist. The issue has sparked tension between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties in his government, with lawmakers threatening to topple the prime minister if no agreement is reached this week. Some opposition parties are seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt. "The vast majority wants new elections as soon as possible," Golan said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Mossad head to start political party
Former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen plans to launch an independent political party amid changing Israeli public sentiment post-war. Former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen is reportedly reassessing his plans and intends to launch a new independent political party, despite offers from prominent figures like Netanyahu, Bennett, and Liberman, says N12 news. This development, which was revealed in Channel 12's "Meet the Press" with Ben Caspit and Amit Segal, is contradictory to what Cohen has previously said that he 'doesn't see elections on the horizon'. He had been focusing on his business interests, including expanding his collaboration with the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank. The shift in Cohen's position likely stemmed from his view of changes in Israeli public sentiment since the outbreak of the war. 'While Netanyahu delivers the right but no change, and Yair Golan, Yair Lapid, and Benny Gantz offer change but no right, Cohen may fill that gap in the political map,' a source explained to N12 news. Showing that the aftermath of October 7th has resulted in support for right-wing ideas on the one hand, and a very strong push for political change on the other. In an interview with Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland on the UNHOLY podcast, Cohen stated: 'I don't think this is the time to discuss changing the government, but I do believe that after the war there needs to be a big change here.' He continued: 'One of the inevitable outcomes of this war is that many of the figures involved—some of whom have already taken responsibility—will be replaced. Politicians need to understand that we're taking a major step toward change in the Israeli arena from here on out. And yes, that includes elections.' Cohen, who was born in Jerusalem to a religious Zionist home, began his Mossad career in the early 1980s, Maariv stated. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, holding sensitive positions that included managing the agency's operations in Europe and leading the Tzomet Division — the unit responsible for Israel's global network of secret sources. In 2013, Netanyahu appointed him as head of the National Security Council, and three years later, he became the head of the Mossad, according to N12 news.
