Yair Golan: 'Annexing Gaza is tantamount to the destruction of Israel'
A reservist general until May, Golan is the founder of the 'Democrats', the new political party that brings together the Israeli left and continues to grow among those voters calling for an end to the war
from our correspondent Roberto Bongiorni
3' min read
3' min read
JERUSALEM - "The annexation of the Gaza Strip is tantamount to the destruction of Israel. The annexation of the West Bank is the same madness. Gaza must be administered by the Palestinians'. If there is one man in Israel capable of attracting unanimous criticism from two fronts with irreconcilable positions, the government and part of the opposition, it is Yair Golan. A reservist general until May, before Defence Minister Katz ordered that he no longer wear the uniform, Golan is the founder of the "Democrats", the new political party that gathers the Israeli left and continues to grow among those voters who demand an end to the war and the release of all hostages. "Israel is on its way to becoming a pariah state, as South Africa once was," he had declared in May. "A healthy state does not kill children as a hobby." "This is an outrageous incitement against our soldiers and against the State of Israel," PM Netanyahu had thundered. "He must be ostracised from public life," Defence Minister Israel Katz had threatened. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi had not hesitated to call him 'a terrorist'. No one, however, has forgotten when, on the morning of 7 October 2023, Golan, of his own free will, rushed to his car to join the rescue operations of the survivors of the Nova Music Festival massacre. He saved six young people and killed several Hamas extremists.
General, how do you judge the actions of the Israeli government?
To this terrible government I say that we will fight with determination to change course, to stop this destructive course. We are the real Zionists. All the people who are here now (in front of the premier's office), are the real Zionists. People who want dignity, honour and a normal life. All this is almost impossible in Israel today because of this government clinging to an extreme messianic vision, which has no connection with reality and which aims at the annexation of the Gaza Strip. Which would probably mean the destruction of Israel. The Knesset voted in favour to annex the West Bank as well. This is all part of the same madness.
Your goal is to end the war and free alltthe hostages. And the future of the Strip?
A could have had an agreement for the hostages more than a year ago. It is still the same deal: a permanent ceasefire, the release of the hostages, the release of the Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of the army from most of the Gaza Strip.
