Israel's Yair Golan campaigns on ending wars and settler violence ahead of October election

Ahead of Israel's national election on October 27, 2026, Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, is campaigning on a platform of ending regional wars, tackling West Bank settler violence, and preserving liberal democratic values to secure Western alliances. Golan's campaign faces intense friction, marked by a surge in death threats against him following conspiracy accusations from Sara Netanyahu, while far-right rivals like Itamar Ben Gvir face legal challenges over controversial campaign materials.

Golan campaign platform

• ▪Yair Golan outlined his top campaign priorities as ending the war with Iran, rebuilding Gaza, tackling Jewish settler violence in the West Bank, and forging regional alliances.
• ▪Yair Golan spoke at a Tel Aviv International Salon election event on September 6, 2026, addressing an audience of approximately 250 people, including new immigrants and Israeli natives.
• ▪Yair Golan, the leader of Israel's left-wing Democrats party, pledged to join the government if the opposition wins the national election on October 27, 2026.

Israel liberal democratic values

• ▪Yair Golan stated that Israel must adhere to liberal democratic values to deprive its progressive and "woke" critics of political ammunition and maintain its strategic ties with Western nations.
• ▪Yair Golan stated that Israel does not need to work with every US politician, specifically referencing vocal opponents of Israel such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Ben Gvir prison video controversy

• ▪Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir removed a social media video showing him taunting detained Palestinian women at the Damon security prison in August 2026.
• ▪The Committee Against Torture NGO appealed to the Central Elections Committee, claiming Itamar Ben Gvir's prison video constituted illegal use of state resources for election propaganda.

Election security threats

• ▪Yair Golan, a retired reserve general, personally rescued survivors at the Nova festival site during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack while state officials were overwhelmed.
• ▪Associates of Yair Golan publicly warned on September 2, 2026, of a severe increase in death threats and open calls for murder targeting the Democrats party leader.
• ▪The surge in threats against Yair Golan followed accusations by Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife, claiming Golan had advance warning of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

West Bank settler violence

• ▪Yair Golan pledged that if the opposition bloc wins the October 2026 election, his party will place the suppression of Jewish settler violence in the occupied West Bank directly on the government's agenda.
• ▪Yair Golan's campaign platform emphasizes diplomacy over military conflict and ending settler violence in the West Bank as key pillars of his left-wing coalition strategy.

Debatable claims

• ▪The Israeli government should actively suppress Jewish settler violence in the West Bank
• ▪Israel must prioritize liberal democratic values to preserve its Western alliances