The IDF’s assassination of former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a “mistake,” Democrats Party leader Yair Golan said during an interview with Yediot Aharonot and i24NEWS commentator Yossi Yehoshua at the Meir Nitzan Culture Hall in Rishon Lezion.
Golan said that his opinion was not based on Khamenei deserving his fate, but rather “because [the assassination] didn’t serve the interests of the State of Israel.
The N12 news site quoted The Democrats' leader as saying that the assassination removed Iran’s “veteran leadership,” resulting in the strengthening of “even more extreme and violent elements.”
“When you have an elderly and veteran leader, there is certainly an advantage to that,” Golan said. “He was already 86 years old.”
According to N12, Golan added that his position was based on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “selling” the United States “illusions about toppling the Iranian regime, without any diplomatic strategy,” as opposed to “spearheading a regional diplomatic initiative to ensure Israel’s security.”
Khamenei was killed by an Israel Air Force strike targeting his Tehran bunker on February 28, 2026, at the start of Operation Roaring Lion. The ayatollah’s son, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him.
Golan: Every 18-year-old in Israel must serve country for one year minimum
Turning to the issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) enlistment, Golan said the “clear goal” was for every 18-year-old to “serve the state” for at least one year.
“I think this will build a more integrated society,” he said, describing himself as a “realistic person.”
He added that the way to achieve this goal was to “sit and talk” about the issue.
“We have the patience, the maturity, and the professional responsibility to build a real process and not a fake one,” Golan said.
Shir Perets, Jame Genn, Tobias Holcman, and Idan Kweller contributed to this report.