Ofer Golan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-standing advisor and spokesman, will step down after a decade working for the Netanyahu family, the pair announced in a joint statement on Wednesday.
They expressed mutual appreciation for their long-standing partnership, with Netanyahu thanking him and saying, "Over the years, Ofer has been a partner in the journey. He acted with great professionalism and dedication, with full commitment and discretion, and made a significant contribution to me with wise advice and common sense."
Golan believes in Netanyahu's mission
"I am ending my role with enormous appreciation for the Prime Minister and with fervent faith in him," Golan said, emphasizing his faith in the Prime Minister's mission.
"I have seen firsthand his unimaginable ability to skillfully navigate between desires, constraints, and needs, while uncompromisingly safeguarding the good of the country and its citizens," he added.
"I saw how the Prime Minister runs the country with awe, and I watched in amazement how with great strength of spirit he brings about historic moves that have shaped, strengthened, and fortified the State of Israel - and in fact, redefined it," he explained of his work alongside Netanyahu.
Golan also thanked the Netanyahu family, saying that he wanted to "personally thank the Prime Minister's wife, Mrs. Sara Netanyahu, and all the family members, for a decade of joint and intensive work."
"I have been granted complete trust, extraordinary closeness, and warm treatment that have become an inseparable part of my professional and personal path. I thank the Netanyahu family for the privilege of standing by their side even in the most challenging moments, out of a deep sense of true partnership," he concluded.
Golan's witness harassment case
Back in February, Golan had an indictment filed against him by State Attorney Amit Aisman for reportedly harassing Shlomo (Momo) Filber, the state’s witness in the trial cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He was indicted alongside Yonatan Urich, who served as a strategic adviser and creative director at the Likud’s election headquarters, and Israel Einhorn, who served as the party’s spokesman.
In 2018-2019, a police investigation was conducted, in which Netanyahu was also questioned in the “Case 4000” affair. As part of this investigation, Filber, who was also the former director-general of the Communications Ministry, served as a state witness.
A week after the indictment, Golan and Urlich asked Judge Dror Kleitman to cancel it, citing abuse of process. They argued that law enforcement violated basic legal safeguards at the outset and later sought to retroactively legitimize those steps, undermining the integrity of the case.
Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.