Yair Golan

Yair Golan was born in 1962 in Rishon LeZion

Golan was born on 14 May 1962 in Rishon LeZion and grew up there. His father, Gershon Goldner, fled Nazi Germany with his parents in 1935 and later served in the IDF. He was active in the youth movement HaNoar HaOved.

He studied at schools in Rishon LeZion and Tel Aviv. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Tel Aviv University and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University.

Golan joined the IDF in 1980 and volunteered for the Paratroopers. He fought in the First Lebanon War and rose through command roles, including the Nahal Brigade, the Home Front Command and the Northern Command. He became Deputy Chief of General Staff in December 2014.

In 2016 he gave a Holocaust Day speech that drew criticism, and he later said he had not meant to compare Israel to Nazi Germany. He was considered for Chief of Staff in 2018, but Aviv Kochavi was chosen.

In 2019 he helped found Ehud Barak's party and entered the Knesset. He later joined Meretz and served as Deputy Minister of Economy. In May 2024 he was elected leader of the Labor Party and then led The Democrats, formed with Meretz.