Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan declared that he views the Arab parties as “partners” but completely ruled out any political cooperation with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties.

“The Arab parties are partners, in my view,” Golan said in an interview. “The principle is very simple: any Arab leader who acknowledges that Israel is the national home of the Jewish people and at the same time must be a free, equal, and democratic state, is a partner in my view.”

“I don’t understand the principle of boycotting the Arab parties. We sat with Mansour Abbas; he was a coalition member. Was that so bad? It was excellent. He proved to be an outstanding political partner. So why not?”

“I object to the principle of simply disqualifying an entire public. The Democrats Party will be open to the Arab public—anyone from the Arab public who wishes to run is welcome. We have primaries, and I’m sure there will be promising, serious representatives on our list—people who are good for the State of Israel, not just for the Arab public.”

When asked which politicians he refuses to work with, he responded, “I disqualify Netanyahu, who in my view is a leader who has ruined the State of Israel and must bear personal responsibility for the October 7 massacre, and I disqualify the fascist parties of Ben Gvir and Smotrich. I will not sit with them.”

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)