Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan Clash Over Palestinian State and Coalition Plans

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, sharply criticized Yair Golan, head of the Democratic Party, during a "Talking Revival" event on August 3, 2026. Lieberman told Golan, "I would be happy to compliment him, if only he would be quiet," accusing him of harming the opposition's chances by repeatedly raising the issue of a Palestinian state and settlement evacuations. Lieberman claimed these topics benefit Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign.

Lieberman expressed confidence in the opposition bloc's prospects, predicting a decisive victory with 60 to 61 Knesset seats, and suggested that if the bloc falls short of a majority, they could supplement seats from the Likud party, but without Netanyahu. He firmly opposed giving the Democratic Party control over key ministries such as Defense, Internal Security, or Justice, calling it "simply unacceptable."

In response, Golan accused Lieberman of serving Netanyahu's incitement campaign and urged him to stop echoing Netanyahu's messages. He criticized Lieberman for delegitimizing the Democrats to reduce the opposition's strength and called for unity among anti-Netanyahu factions. Golan concluded by emphasizing the choice between continuing internal disputes that could grant Netanyahu another term or working together to win and then debating within the government.

The exchange highlights ongoing tensions within Israel's opposition ahead of the upcoming elections and the challenges of forming a coalition without Netanyahu.