From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Hitting back, Golan urges Liberman to ‘stop serving Netanyahu’s incitement campaign’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The Democrats party chief Yair Golan calls on Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman to “stop serving [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s incitement campaign,” after the hawkish opposition lawmaker attacked him at a parlor meeting last night.
“Urich says the Democrats are illegitimate because he wants to weaken the change bloc and bring Netanyahu back to power,” and “it’s time to stop echoing his messages,” Golan posts on X, referring to Jonatan Urich, a senior media adviser to Netanyahu, and to the bloc of parties opposed to the premier.
“We can fight now and give Netanyahu another term. Or we can work as a bloc, win, and then argue in the government. We’re choosing victory,” writes Golan.
Yesterday, Liberman stated that Golan should remain quiet because when he speaks publicly, it only helps Netanyahu’s campaign.
Golan should “shut up” because to do so “would be his biggest contribution to our victory,” Hebrew media outlets Ynet and Israel Hayom quoted Liberman as telling a parlor meeting.
Liberman — a right-wing secularist former Netanyahu ally-turned-bitter rival — argued that there are plenty of areas of agreement between the parties on issues such as term limits for prime minister and drafting a constitution, but that “bringing up the issue of a Palestinian state or the evacuation of settlements every two days is complete madness” and is “purely working in Netanyahu’s favor.”
The Times of Israel Community.