Former Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Major-General (res.) Yair Golan, who joined Ehud Barak’s new party and holds the number two slot, says he does not rule out a cabinet which includes the Arab parties.

“Anyone who believes in a Jewish and democratic state, that accepts minorities with kindness, cannot reject him. We reject only those who reject the very existence of the state”, Golan said in an interview with Yaron Dekel on KAN Reshet Bet Radio.

After his party chairman, Ehud Barak, refused to relate directly to the question of whether to form a government with the Arab parties, Golan was much more direct in his response.

“We will invite anyone who agrees with the principles I spoke about, including Ayman Odeh. The Arabs are 20% of the population here. Do we want to disqualify them? Look at the approach of Ben-Gurion and Eshkol and Rabin and Begin to the Arab population. They had a welcome attitude. I do not understand why one would delegitimize 20% of the residents of Israel”.

He said that the reason for the establishment of the new party is the absence of an attractive central body in the center-left bloc that will unite other bodies around it. In the interview, Golan emphasized that Barak is best suited to serve as prime minister, and that the new party will add to the bloc and expand it.

Golan added that what is missing for the Blue-White Party is a passion and a crystallized vision, which Barak brings with him.

According to him, “Ganz is worthy, Barak is the worthiest”. He stressed that “I did not come for a day or two, not for a month or two, I came to stay. I’ve never been a good sprinter, but I’ve always been a good long-distance runner and I come for the long haul”.

Golan claimed that he is a left-wing person, and not a leftist, as he puts it. “A leftist is an expression with negative connotations and has no place. We are a determined and resolute left that knows how to lead the Jewish people to a democratic, Jewish and worthy vision”.

He spoke of his positions on the necessary steps in Yehuda and Shomron vis-a-vis the Palestinians. “The main question facing the Jewish people is whether they are going to annexation or separation. We are unequivocally in favor of separation. This separation can be expressed in all kinds of ways and we must enter a process that will ultimately lead to separation between the Jewish population and the Palestinian population”.

Golan referred to the speech in which he said that he “recognizes the horrifying processes that took place in Europe” – and expressed no remorse, as at the time, he drew an analogy to events in Israel today.

You have to look at the processes as they are, just take a look at the government corruption around the election issue. A coalition of the two major parties, the Likud and Blue and White should have been formed. This does not happen only because of the corruption of one man. I think that everything I said, unfortunately is absolutely true, and what happened in the past three years only proves that”.

He was also asked about the issue of treatment of the justice system. “There is a way to discuss the status of the Supreme Court, but the Israeli Supreme Court is a magnificent institution. Even if there are things to fix, do it in private rooms inside. Do you understand that there was a party here in the last elections that wanted a stupid and criminal slogan – one will win against the High Court and the other will win against Hamas? The very fact that such a slogan has come into being is criminal, it must not happen. We will not cooperate with wild incitement against the institutions of the state”.

“We do not reject anyone who is a Zionist and in favor of a democratic and Jewish state, based on the values of the prophets and the Declaration of Independence. Whoever believes in these things we do not rule out. Many members of religious Zionism believe in these values. I object to the absolute opposition to define anyone who has a kippa on his head as messianic and fanatic. We reject only people who reject the institutions of the state or do not believe in its very existence”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)