During a visit to Arad following a recent Iranian ballistic missile attack, The Democrats chairman Yair Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging Israel’s ongoing conflicts for political reasons. Golan argued that the prime minister is failing to translate military achievements into lasting security and stability.

According to Golan, Netanyahu is deliberately keeping the country on a war footing because ending the fighting would likely trigger elections and potentially lead to a change in government. He claimed that national security has been turned into a political tool, alleging that the conflict has been extended for over two years without a clear strategy for decisive victory or diplomatic stabilization.

Israel is currently scheduled to hold elections by October, though they could take place earlier if the governing coalition collapses. While opposition leaders initially avoided sharp criticism during the war, they have recently become more vocal about their concerns regarding both the management of the conflict and the advancement of controversial legislation unrelated to the war.