30 Facts About Yair Golan

Yair Golan is an Israeli politician, the leader of the Democrats party, and reserve major general in the Israel Defense Forces.

Yair Golan is a reserve major general in the Israel Defense Forces.

In May 2024, Golan was elected leader of the Israeli Labor Party on a platform of merging the party with the rival left-wing party, Meretz.

Yair Golan's father served in the IDF and his last role was a senior technical assistant to the chief communications and electronics officer at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Yair Golan's mother, Rachel, was born in Tel Aviv to Aryeh Rapoport, who immigrated from Ukraine in 1921, and Hana, born in moshav Nachalat Yehuda, now a part of Rishon LeZion.

Yair Golan's elder brother is a Geography and History professor in the University of Haifa and his younger sister is a special-education teacher in the Shamir Medical Center.

Yair Golan studied at Haviv Elementary School and "Yadlin" School in Rishon LeZion and Ort Singalovsky School in Tel Aviv.

Yair Golan was the head of the "nest council" of Rishon LeZion in the leftist Labour Zionist youth movement HaNoar HaOved.

Yair Golan served as a soldier and a squad leader and fought in the 1982 Lebanon War.

Yair Golan served as the commander of the Brigade's Anti-tank company and led the 890 Paratroop Battalion in counter-guerrilla operations in the South Lebanon conflict and in the First Intifada.

Yair Golan then served as the head of the Operations section in the Operations Directorate.

Yair Golan retired from active service in March 2018, after being replaced by Aluf Aviv Kochavi in May 2017.

Yair Golan was a candidate for replacing Gadi Eisenkot, and discussions were held in 2018.

On 7 October 2023, the day of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Yair Golan arrived as a civilian to the headquarters of the southern district of the Home Front Command, and asked its commander, Rafi Milo, to "re-enlist".

Yair Golan received a weapon and arrived in his private vehicle to the Gaza envelope, and rescued many survivors who were trapped in the area of the massacre at the Nature Festival near Re'im, using their phone locations.

Yair Golan described what he saw as very difficult scenes and claimed that the battle of that day was the worst defeat of the State of Israel ever.

On 26 June 2019, Ehud Barak announced that Yair Golan would join him in forming a new party called Israel Democratic Party which intended on challenging Netanyahu in the September 2019 Israeli legislative election.

Yair Golan was placed third on the list and served as a Member of the twenty-second Knesset.

Yair Golan re-activated the Democratic Choice party in January 2020, becoming its leader and joining the Democratic Union again in advance of the 2020 Israeli legislative election.

In December 2020, Yair Golan announced his accession to Meretz, and was elected to the twenty-fourth Knesset.

Yair Golan was appointed Deputy Minister of Economy under Orna Barbivai.

Yair Golan lost to Zehava Gal-On, but was elected fourth in the list elections and placed fifth.

Yair Golan represented Meretz in the Knesset until the party failed to pass the electoral threshold in the 2022 legislative elections.

On 26 February 2024, Yair Golan announced he is prepared to take part in the Labor primary election on 28 May He stated that his mission will be to "lead the Labor Party and lead to the unification of the liberal-democratic camp".

Yair Golan has stated that he will fight against "corruption, the annexation of the West Bank, homophobia, and gender segregation".

Yair Golan has made statements against the BDS movement, saying that he believes it has anti-Semitic overtones, and that Israel has to "fight it to the bitter end".

Yair Golan believes in complete separation of state and religion including the end of the "marriage monopoly" in Israel, allowing LGBTQ+ marriage and public transportation on Shabbat.

In several interviews and statements, Yair Golan heavily criticized the lack of secular education in Haredi schools.

Yair Golan is married to Ruthie, he is a father to five children and resides in Rosh HaAyin.

Yair Golan holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Tel Aviv University, and a master's degree in public administration policy from Harvard University in the United States.