Yair Golan Criticized for Softening Stance on Haredi Parties

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, is facing criticism on social media for expressing a willingness to partner with Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties in a "change government." This comes after he had previously pledged during the election campaign that Haredi parties would remain in the opposition. The criticism was amplified by media personality Boaz Golan, who shared a screenshot of a May tweet from Yair Golan. In that tweet, Yair Golan had promised, "The Democrats will be your insurance certificate that the Haredi parties will sit in the opposition in the coming years," referencing an AI-generated image of himself wearing a shtreimel (a traditional Haredi fur hat).

Further underscoring the shift, Golan stated at a Ynet conference on October 12 that "we will not sit with draft dodgers." He also made similar remarks at a pre-military academy event in Haifa, declaring, "We will not sit with the Haredim. We came to fix."

However, in a statement released on Saturday, Golan presented a more open stance, saying, "We are not looking to punish the Haredim. We want a partnership with the Haredi public, but a real partnership requires mutual responsibility." He emphasized that this does not mean abandoning demands regarding military conscription and employment integration. Golan contrasted his approach with that of Prime Minister Netanyahu, stating, "Unlike Netanyahu, we will not go all the way to Bnei Brak or Mea Shearim. Whoever wants a partnership with us will have to meet us in Ramat Gan." He reiterated his desire to form a "change government" but stressed it would not be a "blank check."

This development follows a similar shift by Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, who announced last Friday his readiness to compromise on the Haredi draft law, a departure from his firm stance during the election. Lieberman cited the election results as necessitating a recalculation by the leaders of the "change bloc."

Golan's position on Haredi parties has shown nuances before. In May, shortly after his opposition pledge, he expressed a conditional willingness for partnership, though he later stated the Haredi parties had disqualified themselves. As of now, no coalition agreement has been signed with the Haredi parties, and Golan continues to condition cooperation on significant changes in military conscription and the relationship between religion and state. The gap between his pre-election promises and his current willingness to engage with the Haredim provides critics with renewed ammunition.