Democrats party leader Yair Golan wrote on X on Friday that Israel is at a "critical juncture" and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "in a panic, trying to stage a coup, and seize power by force," The Jerusalem Post reports. The post came in what Golan called a situation report on the coalition talks that followed the election. Netanyahu stays in office until a new government is sworn in.
Golan also took aim at Shin Bet Director David Zini, the Post reports. He claimed that Zini and the agency as a whole have "fallen into the hands of the Netanyahu family." The Post quotes him adding: "The holy of holies of Israel's security is in the hands of those who serve Netanyahu rather than the state. The crisis with the US is deepening, military aid funds are being cut, and the rift with the Democratic Party is growing ever more severe."
"This is a real danger to Israel and its security, and we have no time to waste on political games," Golan wrote, according to the Post. The paper reports he paired those warnings with what he called progress and optimism on the coalition front.
On coalition talks, Golan said: "There is serious work taking place every day to turn the election results into a 'change government.' There are difficulties, and I don't intend to hide them, but there is also real progress," he said. He went on, the Post reports: "The public has given us a great opportunity. Now our responsibility is to turn it into reality. It won't be easy, but it is possible, and I am determined to do whatever it takes to ensure we succeed."
Golan closed by saying his camp had promised voters it would form a government and send Netanyahu home, and that it has a majority, an opportunity and a historic responsibility not to miss it, the Post reports. The Post's photo from a November 3 meeting of opposition heads shows Golan alongside Yashar head Gadi Eisenkot, B'Yachad head Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman and B'Yachad deputy Yair Lapid. What it means: the talks are under way, the claims are flying, and no new government exists until one is sworn in.
