On a sweltering August day in Jerusalem, the air around the Knesset vibrated with protest. Hundreds of demonstrators, red-faced and determined, gathered outside the Israeli parliament, their chants echoing the demands of a deeply divided nation: “Enough killing!” “Democracy!” “Hostages above everything!” At the center of this crowd stood Yair Golan, a former general whose military bearing—straight-backed, unflinching—set him apart from the sweating masses. Unfazed by the heat and the jeers, Golan addressed the crowd, his voice carrying over the din, advocating for a vision now rare in Israeli politics: a pragmatic two-state solution.
Golan, now 63, leads the Democrats, a new alliance of left-wing parties. As reported by The New York Times Magazine, he is currently the only Jewish party leader in Israel openly supporting the creation of a Palestinian state—a stance rooted, he insists, in hard-won experience. “Peace is the ultimate security,” Golan declared, referencing four decades in uniform. His conviction, however, has drawn fierce criticism from across the political spectrum. After a radio interview in which he condemned civilian casualties in Gaza, government ministers accused him of “blood libel” and demanded a criminal investigation. Golan clarified that his criticism targeted government policy, not soldiers, but the backlash was swift and severe.
This turmoil unfolds against a backdrop of seismic shifts in Israeli society. The attack by Hamas-led militants on October 7, 2023, left roughly 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage, according to official counts. In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that, by early 2026, had killed around 70,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women, children, or seniors, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations estimates that 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Despite a cease-fire that took effect in October 2025, violence has continued, with more than 500 Palestinians killed since then.
Within Israel, the political climate has grown increasingly hawkish. As The New York Times Magazine notes, young Israelis tend to be more right-leaning than their elders, and public support for a two-state solution has plummeted. A 2025 Gallup poll found that only one-quarter of Israelis now back the idea—less than half the rate recorded in 2012. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on trial for corruption since 2020, has repeatedly framed recognition of a Palestinian state as a “huge reward to terrorism.” Even centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid has distanced himself from the concept. Golan’s Democrats, meanwhile, have emerged as the third-largest party in recent polls, a remarkable feat for a left wing that currently holds just four of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Golan’s own story is deeply entwined with Israel’s military and political evolution. Raised in a family steeped in military tradition, he chose the paratroopers over the air force at age 18 and quickly gained a reputation for courage—and independence. In 1997, he was shot in both arm and leg during a Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon but continued to command his troops. He rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as a high-ranking officer until 2018, but was known for challenging official policy when he believed it necessary. Notably, in 2013, he arranged for wounded Syrian rebels to receive medical care in Israel, a move that, while not officially sanctioned, avoided reprimand.
His willingness to speak out has often placed him at odds with political leaders. In 2016, Golan ignited controversy during a Holocaust Remembrance Day speech by drawing parallels between rising intolerance in Israel and the early stages of Nazi Germany. “We must uproot from among us the seeds of intolerance, the seeds of violence, the seeds of self-destruction along the path of moral decline,” he warned. The backlash was immediate, with some government ministers calling for his dismissal. Golan maintains that his remarks were a warning, not a political statement.
After leaving the military, Golan’s transition to politics was rocky. He briefly served as a Knesset member for the leftist Meretz party but lost the race for party chair, and Meretz failed to secure seats in the following election. Yet the events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza brought Golan back to the forefront. He sprang into action, rescuing survivors from the Nova music festival massacre and earning widespread admiration for his hands-on leadership. As sociologist Yagil Levy told The New York Times Magazine, Golan’s actions “constituted a winning formula that linked the military world with the Israeli left.”
Golan’s rhetoric remains uncompromising. He has denounced government ministers who, in his words, “long to settle Gaza at the expense of our sons’ blood” and has accused the current leadership of prioritizing self-preservation over the nation’s future. “Israeli society is torn apart and exhausted,” he told protesters. “Israel is becoming the leper country of the world.”
Yet his approach is also marked by pragmatism. When several countries, including France and Canada, recognized a Palestinian state in September 2025, Golan publicly opposed the move, calling it “destructive.” He argued that such gestures only deepen Israeli resistance and drive voters toward Netanyahu. While committed to the two-state vision, Golan insists that recognition must be a gradual process, contingent on demilitarization and secure borders. “A state-to-be,” he calls it, emphasizing the need for security guarantees and effective border control.
Golan’s willingness to work with a broad coalition sets him apart. He has said he would “sit with anyone” in the opposition who accepts Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and has even welcomed the idea of forming a government with predominantly Arab parties. He has praised Mansour Abbas, leader of an Islamist party advocating peaceful coexistence, as “more of a patriot than Itamar Ben-Gvir,” the far-right national-security minister.
With elections scheduled for October 2026—or sooner, if the government fails to pass a budget by March—Israeli politics is entering a period of uncertainty. Polls suggest that Golan’s Democrats could play a pivotal role, especially if they join forces with other center-left factions. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is preparing a comeback, having recently recruited American advisors George Birnbaum and Tony Fabrizio, both veterans of Netanyahu and Trump campaigns, to bolster his strategy. As reported by i24NEWS, Bennett expressed confidence that their experience “will help lead us to victory, and in doing so, also help heal and unite our country.”
Yet the challenges facing Israel run deeper than campaign tactics. The rift between government and military leadership has widened, fueled by disputes over judicial reforms and the conduct of the Gaza war. Golan, reflecting on the scars—both personal and national—remarked, “We’re like a body that’s been injured. We are going to live with scars. But OK. It’s possible to live with scars.”
As Israel approaches a crucial election, the battle lines are drawn not just between left and right, but over the very nature of the state’s future. Whether Golan’s vision can bridge the divide remains to be seen, but for now, he stands as a rare voice urging both caution and hope in a nation at a crossroads.