Yair Golan Calls Killing of Khamenei Sr. a Mistake Harmful to Israel
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats, declared that the assassination of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was a mistake that harmed Israel's interests. He argued that eliminating senior figures leaves more extreme leaders in power in Iran. Golan also criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu for setting unrealistic goals in Iran and for failing to establish an alternative to Hamas in Gaza, calling it a crime against the IDF and Israeli citizens.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yair Golan stated killing Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was a mistake detrimental to Israel's interests.
- Golan believes eliminating senior Iranian leaders empowers more extreme and violent successors.
- He criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu's goal of overthrowing the Iranian regime as unrealistic.
- Golan accused Netanyahu of perpetuating Hamas rule in Gaza by refusing to build an alternative.
- He called Netanyahu's inaction regarding Gaza a crime against the IDF and Israeli citizens.
Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democrats, stated on Friday during a panel discussion at the Heichal HaTarbut in Rishon LeZion that the assassination of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the elder Khomeini, was a mistake. Golan clarified that the error was not due to Khomeini deserving to live, but because his death did not serve Israel's interests.
Golan argued that a veteran, elderly leader, while potentially having advantages, is often succeeded by figures controlled by extremist elements. He suggested that the current Iranian leadership, particularly if the younger Khamenei is in charge, is dominated by an ultra-extremist security and strategic echelon. Golan believes that by eliminating key figures, Israel has been left with more extreme and violent individuals.
Referencing past operations, Golan stated that Israel's situation has worsened since the "Operation Full Disclosure" (Amot Levia) period, attributing this to Prime Minister Netanyahu's unrealistic war aim of overthrowing the Iranian regime. Regarding a potential strike in Iran, Golan expressed distrust in Netanyahu but assessed that the Prime Minister's operational freedom is currently limited.
Furthermore, Golan accused the Prime Minister of perpetuating Hamas's rule in Gaza due to his "continuous refusal to build an alternative governing body to Hamas." He described this inaction as a "crime against the IDF and against the citizens of Israel."
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