Latest news with #YairGolan
Free Malaysia Today
2 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
16 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
16 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
19 hours 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.
The National
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Israel should work with regional states to 'build alternative to Hamas' in Gaza, left-wing leader says
Israel should work with regional powers to secure Gaza's future and establish an alternative to Hamas in the enclave, as well as forging an alliance against Iran, a key leader of the Israeli opposition has said. Yair Golan, a former deputy chief of the Israeli military who now leads the Democrats party, also said he was determined to 'save Israel from a messianic and extremist' government, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's far-right coalition teeters on the brink of collapse. Mr Golan has emerged as one of the most dynamic leaders on the country's beleaguered political left, which for years has struggled to have its voice heard by voters in an increasingly religious and right-wing society. In an address on Monday to foreign journalists in East Jerusalem, he emphasised his stance – shared by the majority of Israelis, according to the most recent polling – that the government should prioritise efforts to secure a ceasefire deal and the release of hostages in Gaza, over continuing the conflict. 'I believe we can reach hostage deal in matter of days … I believe that by ending the war and freeing the hostages we will be able to build an alternative to Hamas inside Gaza Strip,' he said. 'We should work with the region in order to build this alternative. With the moderate Sunni countries we should build an alternative in order to provide Gazans with an alternative to the extreme and violent regime of Hamas.' Such efforts would also allow Israel to "forge a regional alliance against the Iranian threat', he added. Mr Golan has previously come under fire for his criticism of the war in Gaza. In May, he faced widespread condemnation for comments that appeared to criticise Israel for killing Gazan babies 'as a hobby'. 'Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don't return to acting like a sane country,' Mr Golan said on Kan radio. "A sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby and does not set itself the aim of expelling populations." He later said the remarks were aimed at Mr Netanyahu's government, rather than the military. Mr Golan also criticised the idea of annexing the occupied West Bank, a priority for some members of Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition. He said the move would be a "disaster for Israel', given that millions of Palestinians would suddenly be added to the country's population. The Democrats party, which holds four of the 120 seats in Israel's parliament, also addressed the years-long saga over whether ultra-Orthodox Israelis should serve in the military like all other young Jewish citizens. The issue is coming to a head, with potentially terminal results for Mr Netanyahu's government. Ultra-Orthodox parties have threatened to withdraw from the coalition over the lack of progress in passing a law that would enshrine the community's exemption from military service. "The vast majority [of Israelis] want a new draft law that encompasses all young citizens of Israel," Mr Golan said.
