Democratic Party Faces Internal Conflict Over 'Judea and Samaria' Terminology and Terror Attack Response

The Democratic Party in Israel held a closed meeting this week to discuss party messaging and discipline ahead of upcoming elections, focusing on the response to a terror attack at Gilad Farm last weekend. Gabi Leski, who placed sixth in the party primaries, criticized party leader Yair Golan for using the term "Judea and Samaria," demanding he instead say "West Bank." Golan rejected the notion that "Judea and Samaria" is a right-wing term. Arab sector representatives Somaya Bashir and Aeed Badir also criticized Golan's initial reaction to the attack, saying his tweet labeling the event a terror attack rather than "friction between settlers and Palestinians" was seen as a right-wing message within the party and the Arab community.

In his tweet after the attack, Golan expressed condolences to the victim's family and called for a strong military response against terror, combined with a strategic initiative to dismantle terror infrastructures. The party also criticized candidate Moshe Radman’s response to the attack, with MK Naama Lazimi warning that the party risks falling below the electoral threshold if such messaging continues. Golan admitted to a mistake in handling the issue.

Following these reports, Religious Zionism leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked the Democratic Party, labeling Golan as a radical leftist and accusing him of being essential to the current government coalition led by Benny Gantz and Gabi Leski. Smotrich warned that without Golan and Leski, the government would not exist and claimed that the coalition poses a danger to Israel, criticizing silence from coalition members Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz.