Mother of Freed Hostage Tzengauker Accuses Yair Golan of Breaking Promise on Party List Slot

Einav Tzengauker, mother of former hostage Matan Tzengauker, publicly accused Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, of reneging on a promise to secure her a reserved spot near the top of the party's Knesset list. In a detailed and angry post on Monday, she revealed that Golan had assured her in February, ahead of expected Knesset dissolution, that she would receive a protected position immediately after incumbent MKs. She agreed and kept the agreement confidential, lowering her public profile and refraining from other political moves as requested.

Tzengauker said the commitment was repeatedly confirmed by Golan himself, who emphasized that the agreement was binding and would be announced after the party's primary elections. However, Golan ultimately decided not to use his prerogative to reserve any candidate slots, including for Tzengauker, which she described as the entire story behind their fallout.

Despite her disappointment, Tzengauker stated she is moving forward and remains committed to serving the Israeli public. She pledged to repay her "enormous debt to the people of Israel" and to work towards improving the country, especially in the weeks before the elections. She called for preventing the current government from erasing the memory of recent tragedies and failures.

Tzengauker outlined her vision for Israel as a nation founded on equality, shared responsibilities, and opportunities, fostering true unity and healing societal divisions. She also reflected on her personal journey of recovery with her children after her son's 738-day captivity and expressed determination to continue advocating for national reform.

The dispute follows a period of negotiations and comes after Golan announced he would not exercise his right under the Democratic Party's constitution to reserve slots at positions 2 or 10 on the party list. Tzengauker has been a prominent figure in the families of hostages' movement and public protests against the government since her son's release in the recent prisoner exchange deal.