Former General Golan elected as leader of Israeli Labor Party

On Tuesday, the Israeli Labor Party elected former General Yair Golan as its leader, amid a crisis surrounding the left-wing party that once ruled Israel for years but now has only four members in the Knesset.

After the results were announced, Golan said, "We are beginning a journey that will return our beloved homeland to its bright future."

The 62-year-old retired general, who previously served as the Commander of the Northern Command and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Israeli military, entered politics in 2019 alongside former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and was elected to the Knesset in 2020 after running on a joint left-wing list.

Golan has been a controversial figure since delivering a speech in 2016 that appeared to compare Israeli society to the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1930s. However, he received much praise when he volunteered to fight against Hamas on Israeli soil following the October 7 attack.

According to media reports, Golan saved at least six people from the Nova Festival site, where at least 364 people were killed.

AFP