A political and public controversy has erupted following remarks by Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan, who declared his intention to "remove religion from the public sphere."
The remarks, made to supporters overseas and revealed by Channel 14, sparked sharp criticism. Golan subsequently issued a clarification, insisting that he was referring to combating religious coercion rather than undermining faith and tradition.
"A clear separation between religion and state will begin, first and foremost, with removing religion from the public sphere," Golan said. "There will be public transportation on Shabbat, and it will be possible to enter into civil marriages in Israel. I am presenting these as two central priorities."
Following the backlash, Golan published a statement claiming that he did not intend to remove faith and tradition from public life, but rather to prevent religious coercion.
"Removing religion from the public sphere = eliminating religious coercion," he wrote.
Golan went on to outline the changes he intends to promote, including ending gender segregation in public spaces, introducing public transportation on Shabbat in areas that want it, opening businesses on Shabbat, and enabling all streams of Judaism to pray at the Western Wall according to their wishes.
"Sidewalks and buses will not be divided by gender," Golan stated, adding that every community should be free to determine its own way of life without coercion from other communities.
"I am Jewish, Zionist, and secular. I respect faith and tradition. I firmly oppose coercion. You are allowed to be religious in our country. You are allowed to be secular in our country. You must be free in our country," he wrote.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri rejected Golan's clarification and sharply criticized his positions, saying, "Yair Golan is openly saying what a left-wing government intends to do: Erase the Jewish identity of the State of Israel."
"We are facing a real danger. The choice is now clearer than ever: Shas and a Jewish state, or the left and a state like all other nations."