Golan Pledges to Extend Tel Aviv’s Religion-and-State Approach Nationwide

Yair Golan pledged on October 27 to extend Tel Aviv’s approach to religion and state across Israel, invoking Ron Huldai and the city as his example. In a campaign statement, he also promised to restore social solidarity and urged voters to choose the Democrats’ Emet ballot slip. Golan called for “freedom of religion and freedom from religion.” His statement set out a political pledge, rather than an enacted change. It echoed the Democrats’ September 2025 policy document, which calls for redefining relations between religion and the state while protecting both religious practice and freedom from religious requirements. That earlier platform proposes limited public transport on Shabbat in secular and mixed areas, with local authorities determining the extent of service. It also calls for protecting Shabbat’s character in religious areas. The proposals therefore distinguish between communities and place decisions about the scope of transport services with the relevant local authority. The September 2025 document also proposes civil marriage alongside the rabbinate, with civil divorce for couples who marry through that route. It explicitly retains the Chief Rabbinate’s marriage services for people who want them. In its statement of principles, the party describes Israel as Jewish and democratic, invokes the Declaration of Independence and Jewish tradition, and calls for religious freedom and equal rights for Jewish and non-Jewish citizens.