Police Spokesman Slams Yair Golan Over Election Integrity Push

Police spokesman Cmdr. Arie Doron sharply attacked Democratic Party leader Yair Golan on Monday, calling him “one of the greatest detractors of Israel” who is harming “Israel’s heroes,” and saying it was not the first time. His remarks came in an interview with Galey Israel, after Golan’s party announced the previous day that it would set up a legal headquarters to “fight for democracy and the integrity of the elections.” Golan also named Shin Bet chief David Zini and Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Danny Levy, warning, “We will keep a close watch on the gatekeepers.”

Doron argued that Golan’s comments amounted to a threat and said he had no right to threaten the police. He accused Golan of attacking people in uniform in order to win votes, referring to earlier remarks in which Golan said, “A sane state does not kill babies as a hobby,” and said Golan had harmed IDF fighters and now police officers. “He uses harsh words against uniformed personnel and the heads of security organizations. He should be ashamed,” Doron said.

The Democrats responded that the closer the election gets, “the more it becomes clear who sees themselves as serving the law and who is afraid because he sees himself serving Ben Gvir and Netanyahu.” The party said the Israel Police belongs to the public, not to the government or any party, and that its role is to protect the rule of law, democracy, and election integrity. It warned that anyone who turns police into a political tool “will not be able to continue in their post” in a future government.

On Sunday, the party said it was forming a special legal team of leading Israeli jurists to monitor the election process as free and fair, amid what it called an immediate and clear threat to election integrity. Golan said the party would closely oversee all law enforcement and security bodies and told Levy and Zini that their loyalty must be to the law and the state, not to the government or the people who appointed them.