Israel Police spokesman calls Yair Golan a ‘defiler of Israel,’ drawing backlash

Israel Police spokesman Aryeh Doron on Monday called Yair Golan, the leader of the left-wing Democrats Party, “one of the greatest defilers of Israel,” prompting calls for a probe and for him to be fired.

Doron made the remarks during a radio interview in response to Golan having said a day earlier that he would keep a close watch on police during the upcoming election to make sure the force isn’t acting illegally on behalf of the government.

Speaking to the Galey Israel station, Doron said of Golan, “There is a sense that he fell in love with the approach of insulting those in uniform.”

Doron cited remarks that Golan made in 2025 when he accused Israel of killing babies in Gaza “as a hobby” during the war there triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel.

“Now he has chosen to insult those in police uniform, when at the end of the day, his goal is just to make noise. He used harsh words against those in uniform and against the heads of security agencies who toil day and night in order to protect Israeli citizens. He should be ashamed and embarrassed.”

Doron later put out a statement saying he retracted the remarks.

In response, the Democrats Party said in a statement that the police force “belongs to Israeli citizens and not to the government and not to a party.”

“Anyone who chooses to launch a political attack against the heads of the opposition instead of remaining nonpartisan raises serious concerns regarding his judgment and his understanding of his role,” the party said.

On Sunday, the party said in a statement that “in light of the clear and immediate threat to the purity of the elections,” it had established a legal headquarters to “oversee the electoral process as a free and fair process.”

In the statement, Golan warned the police chief and the head of the Shin Bet security agency that “we will keep a close eye during the election period on the gatekeepers, and we will act if we detect that you are acting on behalf of the government and not for the good of the country and its citizens in accordance with the law.”

The party noted that it expects the coming election to be “tainted by lies and incitement.”

Israel is set to hold elections no later than October.

Democrats MK Efrat Rayten approached Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy on Monday and demanded that he consider a disciplinary probe of Doron.

Critics have warned that with Public Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s unprecedentedly deep involvement in appointments in the Israel Police, and his apparent insistence on personal loyalty, law enforcement brass have become increasingly beholden to him and to the coalition, raising concerns for their conduct in the election.

Doron has clashed with opposition figures in the past.

In January, police appeared to threaten legal action against Hadash-Ta’al MK Ahmad Tibi unless he apologized for insulting the spokesman during an interview on Channel 13, when the Knesset member called Doron a “loser” and a “despicable Likud activist.”

In a statement, police said they “strongly condemn” Tibi’s words and that they were “not only slanderous, but constitute the criminal offense of insulting a public servant.”

The statement — presumably approved by Doron — added that the politician’s alleged crime “will be dealt with accordingly.”

Doron, a longtime Likud political activist, joined the Israel Police in 2021 and was appointed spokesman in 2024. He is known for his aggressive style, including using homophobic slurs in regular conversation.

In November, the ethics panel for public spokespeople — a committee within the Government Press Office — reprimanded Doron for publicly deriding Haaretz reporter Josh Breiner.