The Israel Police has launched a probe into the new leader of the Labor Party, Yair Golan, for statements that might potentially constitute incitement, although it appears that they were taken out of context.
In a video released a month ago, Golan – who won a landslide victory Tuesday, having garnered 95% of his party members' votes – was heard calling for "widespread civil disobedience," such as refusal to do reserve duty, to exert pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. When his remarks drew reactions from the audience, Golan clarified, "I'm not saying now that this is the right move."
הוא אומר פה במפורש: ״לא עכשיו לא עכשיו״
חברים הביביסטים בישלו דייסה הוציאו מהקשר כי למה לא אם אפשר pic.twitter.com/P6V1ZqDGd7— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) May 29, 2024
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to launch a criminal investigation against Golan, accusing him of "blatantly inciting insubordination – at a time when the State of Israel is at war."
Rejecting such allegations, Golan wrote on Twitter that they were "cheap manipulation" by the "poison machine" backing the "historically failed prime minister."
"We are calling for a large, broad, and continuous non-violent civil protest that will bring about a change of government, elections, the return of the hostages, the return of the evacuees to their homes, and an end to the existential war of the Netanyahu regime," he said.
