Yair Golan’s Battle for a Two-State Solution and the Future of Israel

Yair Golan, a former general and leader of the left-wing Democrats, is the most prominent Jewish party leader still arguing for a two-state solution, which he presents as a pragmatic security imperative he calls a “cruel truth.” He has positioned his party as an alternative to centrist rivals and to the rightward drift of Israeli politics since the war began.

Golan’s criticisms of the government’s conduct in the war—including a radio remark that “a sane country does not fight against civilians”—prompted fierce backlash, with ministers accusing him of “blood libel” and some calling for a criminal probe. The interview and subsequent protests unfolded against the backdrop of the Oct.

7 attacks and a war that, the article notes, left many Israelis dead and thousands of Palestinians killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.

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