On the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel came under attack, a familiar military figure suddenly appeared on television screens across the country: retired Gen. Yair Golan.
Dressed in uniform, Golan was seen entering combat zones and assisting in the response to the Hamas massacre. For many Israelis, it was their first real introduction to him. Despite his senior military background, he was far from a household name.
Then something remarkable happened.
A massive public relations campaign followed. Almost overnight, Golan transformed from a retired general into one of the most talked-about politicians in Israel. He united the liberal and leftist Zionist parties Labor and Meretz, and created the Democrats Party. Meretz had failed to cross the Knesset electoral threshold in the past, yet under Golan’s leadership, the Democrats consistently polls between nine and 12 mandates.
Whether one agrees with him or not, Golan has proven himself to be an exceptionally skilled politician. He understands modern political marketing, voter outreach and coalition-building.
In Arab communities, he has even earned a nickname: “Abu Yair.” His outreach efforts towards Israel’s Arab citizens are impossible to ignore. Much of his social-media activity, including content associated with his party, is published in Arabic. He frequently speaks directly to Arab audiences and has made a clear effort to engage a population of more than 2 million.
This strategy resembles trends seen across Europe and North America, in which progressive and liberal parties increasingly compete for minority voting blocs. Israeli supporters see Golan’s efforts as inclusive politics and coalition-building. Critics see them as placing electoral considerations above the concerns of the Jewish majority.
That perception was reinforced for many Israelis following one of Golan’s most controversial statements during the war: “A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set for itself goals of population expulsion.”
For many Israelis, this was not seen as criticism of government policy, but as an attack on Israeli soldiers, the young men and women risking their lives to defend the country. In their eyes, support for the Israel Defense Forces remains the national consensus, and the army should not be described in the terms used by Golan.
The controversy did not end with the public criticism. Following the remarks, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered that Golan no longer be invited to official IDF activities and barred him from entering military bases in his former capacity. This decision highlighted the depth of the backlash Golan’s comments generated among many Israelis.
For those Israelis, statements like Golan’s reinforced their belief that parts of the political left are more focused on criticizing Israel than standing with the victims of the Oct. 7 massacre, the hostages, and the fallen soldiers and their families. As a result, numerous Israeli voters feel increasingly disconnected from the Israeli left.
Moreover, Golan remains a strong supporter of the two-state solution. For many on the right, this represents a worldview that continues to believe peace can be achieved through territorial concessions despite the lessons that large numbers of Israelis drew from Oct. 7 and the ensuing war.
Most of Golan’s supporters also oppose the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria, viewing it as an obstacle to a future agreement with the Palestinians. Critics argue that this has turned the settlers and pioneers of Judea and Samaria into one of the primary targets of the Israeli left.
The Israeli right may strongly disagree with Golan’s positions, but dismissing him would be a mistake. He has revived a struggling political movement and established himself as one of the most influential opposition figures in Israel.
Whether his party ultimately finds itself in the opposition or as part of a governing coalition will be decided by voters at the ballot box. What is already clear, however, is that Golan has successfully rallied much of Israel’s peace camp, believers in the Oslo vision, and a significant portion of the older generation that once formed the backbone of the Labor movement. So, Israelis should get used to seeing the Democrats, led by Golan, as a significant force in Israeli politics over the next four years.
Love him or hate him, Abu Yair has become the Israeli left’s new superstar.
