Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan said Sunday evening that a government in which he serves as a minister would end state funding for the Eli pre-military academy and other institutions, following a video posted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
In the video, Smotrich presented a scenario of a future government led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, with Golan serving as defense minister.
Under the headline, “What will happen to the Eli on the day Yair Golan is defense minister in the Eisenkot government?" Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, wrote: “Yair Golan and Gadi Eisenkot intend to do what they say."
Golan responded by confirming the criticism, writing: “Thank you, Bezalel. Educational institutions that promote racism, hatred of LGBTQ people, and act against women’s service in the IDF will no longer receive our taxpayers’ money."
The Religious Zionism Party condemned Golan’s remarks, arguing that the Eli pre-military academy is one of Israel’s oldest and most influential programs, having educated thousands of soldiers, commanders, and officers who went on to serve in combat units and senior IDF roles.
The party added that since the October 7th massacre, the academy has suffered significant losses, with dozens of its graduates and students killed in action in Gaza, Lebanon, and other arenas, while dedicating their lives to Israel’s security. "The public should understand exactly what a left-wing government led by Eisenkot and Yair Golan would mean: harming institutions that cultivate the IDF’s finest soldiers and commanders, precisely at a time when Israel needs them more than ever."