Yair Golan Calls Assassination of Iran's Khamenei a Mistake

Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats, stated on Friday that the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the recent war was a "mistake." Speaking in an interview, Golan explained that while Khamenei may have deserved to die, his assassination did not serve Israel's interests. Golan argued that having an elderly, long-standing leader like Khamenei, who was 86, presented a certain advantage. He also suggested that the subsequent "Lion's Roar" operation worsened Israel's situation, as it left Iran under the control of more extreme elements after eliminating the top leadership. Golan believes that Prime Minister Netanyahu set an unrealistic goal of overthrowing the Iranian regime, which was not achieved. He recalled that immediately after Khamenei's assassination in late February, he tweeted that the act was a "dramatic and significant step" demonstrating Israel's and American forces' intelligence and operational superiority, and that Khamenei was the architect of regional terror. However, by early April, just a month and a half later, Golan's stance shifted, suggesting the assassination might have been a mistake that harmed Israel's security. In the same interview, Golan referred to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population as "parasitic," expressing a goal to transform them into a "productive" and educated population with professional skills.