Yair Golan: Meretz has the image of a closed and sour Tel Aviv party, we must change that

MK Golan, who is running against Zehava Galon for the Meretz presidency, attacked her in an interview at the Walla! Studio and claimed that she is running a false campaign of "wild slanders". Regarding his blunt style and controversial statements, he said: "This is not Trumpism, I am speaking the truth.

Why does the left always have to be polite, gentle and nice?"

His dew

08/21/2022

Sunday, August 21, 2022, 11:16 a.m. Updated: 12:19 p.m.

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In the video: Deputy Minister Yair Golan in an interview with his Tal in the studio Walla!

(Still photo: Reuven Castro)

MK Yair Golan, who is competing for the Meretz presidency against Zehava Galon, said today (Sunday) that the party has the image of "a closed, exclusive and sour Tel Aviv party." "Our identity must be open and welcoming," Golan said in an interview at the Walla! studio.

"Enough with this sourness, it's a terrible image," MK Golan continued

.

"How is it that a party that is supposed to be the most socialist, that embraces the weaker sections, ends up being of tenths, 8th, 9th, 10th? There is no reason for us to be a party that abandons the periphery and focuses on the center. We have a huge electorate in the periphery, kibbutzim and moshavim. Why aren't we working With them more? Why don't we give them more space? They want a Zionist left."

"There is no reason for the party to abandon the periphery."

Golan in the Walla! studio, today (photo: Reuven Castro)

Regarding the reasons for the party's failures, Golan said that they are varied and that he is focused on the future.

"We must change in three dimensions of political activity - identity, leadership and essence. Leadership - the leadership must be vigorous that touches the ground, available and present. We were not there in the last few years. This is what I bring with me."

"Change is hard, it's hard to change and renew," he added.

"It's not just leadership at the edge, but also leadership on the ground. We lost the territory in Meretz, there is no field formation today. We must raise up the territory, leadership on the ground, representatives in the local authorities - we need to support them. Civil society organizations on our side - we need to support them" .

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To the full article

"I don't contribute to the dirt, that Gold will ask herself."

Galeon in the studio Walla! (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Golan also referred to his controversial statements during the last term of the Knesset.

"Why do we people of the Zionist left always have to be polite, gentle, nice and comfortable to the right-wing user?" he defended himself.

"Trumpism is a culture of lies and lies. It's not me, I'm speaking the truth, and the truth is hard. It's hard for some people to hear the truth."

Regarding his statement that opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu is a "malignant disease", Golan said that "this is the beautification of journalists and politicians who oppose me.

Netanyahu stood on the stage of the Knesset and slammed me that we are traitors and collaborators of Hamas and this does not come out in the media like that.

Why?

How can it be?".

Regarding his words towards the settlers of the illegal outpost of Chomash, whom he called "subhuman", Golan admitted that the statement was harsh and mentioned that he apologized for his words.

However, he emphasized that attention should be paid to the essence of his words.

"A group of settlers passes through the village of Burka and does the following: beats innocent people for nothing, destroys property for nothing. Who are these people? What would we call them? In the past, these are people who committed pogroms against our people in all kinds of places in the world, especially in Europe. What will we call them? No sub- Adam. Vile rioters, better? The people who riot the Palestinians for nothing, they are neither Zionists nor Judaism, we should not feel sorry for them and we should not speak nicely to them. They are vile rioters and belong in prison. Period."

"I speak the truth, and the truth is hard."

Golan in the Walla! studio, today (photo: Reuven Castro)

Golan responded to her harsh words in the studio Walla!

of Zehava Galon, who is running against him for the leadership of Meretz.

In an interview, the former chairman of the party said that there had never been such a dirty election in Meretz, and that Golan was bringing the methods of Itamar Ben Gabir to the party. "Wild slanders," Golan attacked. "I am not contributing to the dirt, she should ask herself about it.

" Unfortunately, she is running a false campaign," Golan added, referring to her words in the Walla! studio, according to which, according to polls, Meretz, led by her, gets 6-7 mandates. "We forget in the heat of the campaign what the real battle is.

The real battle is against the extreme right, against the corrupt right.

And in front of this right, the left should be put at its best.

And the left is at its best, it's probably not by walking backwards, but forward and I think that inside she knows that."

Regarding his style, Golan said that it may be blunt, but it cannot be called "Trumpism".

"Trumpism is based on lies, on half-truths," he said.

"I speak the truth, I speak what is in my heart - and I say it in the most direct, decent and accurate way. This is what is needed to fight the extreme and corrupt right. There is nothing between that and ben Gavirism or Trumpism."

• 2022 election

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• March

• Yair Golan

• 2022 election