MK Yair Golan, who heads the Democrats party, on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the haredi parties in an interview with the Times of Israel on Sunday, claiming that “as long as they get their pound of flesh, they’re willing to sit in any government.”
Golan said he is willing to sit with haredi parties in a government if politically necessary, but emphasized: “What’s good for Israel is a coalition ranging from [Naftali] Bennett to Mansour Abbas of Ra’am (United Arab List), led from within by the liberal-democratic camp - not the Right.”
He argued that “clinging to the outdated left-right-center paradigm is wrong and locks us into obsolete frameworks. The real story in Israel today is the corrupt and authoritarian camp versus the liberal-democratic camp.”
The Democratic Party head ruled out joining any government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, [National Security Minister] Itamar Ben Gvir, or [Finance Minister] Bezalel Smotrich, but said he would consider cooperating with haredi parties if circumstances required.
“We all understand that we need each other. We don’t want any of the current coalition parties. They are destructive: a corrupt Likud, the extreme nationalists Ben Gvir and Smotrich, and the haredim who are destroying the country,” he said.
Golan also criticized centrist leaders Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, and Gadi Eisenkot, calling on them to help build “a strong, large liberal-democratic camp that will provide a real governing alternative.”
Regarding their approach to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, he said: “Bennett brought the Kohelet Forum into our lives, attacked the Supreme Court, and introduced religious content into education. What are we talking about? Have you lost your minds?”