Skip to main content

Yair Golan Says Democrats Will Decide Which Opposition Leader to Back for Prime Minister

Yair Golan said Gadi Eisenkot is the most likely next prime minister, while stressing that Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman would each need the Democrats’ recommendation to the president. He said the party’s backing would not be automatic and would go only to a candidate committed to what he described as deep repair of the state, rather than a compromise government assembled merely to secure a majority. Golan said he would accept an Arab party in the coalition if needed, but ruled out Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit and Haredi parties. The comments came in an interview published early Friday.

Israel Elections 2026: date, polls and results

Sources

Secondary sources:1

People in this story

Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of Yair Golan in uniform as head of the IDF Home Front Command during a June 2009 meeting in Washington; archival context, not the reported security dispute.

Commentary

Loading comments…

Related articles

  1. First Post-Launch Poll Gives Ofer Winter 8 Seats and Likud 26
  2. Poll Gives Eisenkot 44%-34% Lead Over Netanyahu as Coalition Falls to 50
  3. Gantz and Erdan Explore Joint Knesset Run as Parties Trail Threshold
  4. Poll Gives Eisenkot 24 Seats, Likud 22 as Netanyahu Bloc Falls to 51
  5. Golan Defends Democrats’ Arab Campaign, Vows Jewish-Arab Partnership

Timeline: Realigning the Opposition

Something went wrong

We couldn't complete that action. Check your connection and try again.