Yair Golan Warns of Iran Conflict as Israel Debates Caretaker War Powers
Yair Golan warned of a rising threat from Iran, arguing Netanyahu lacks the legitimacy to manage a war. Meanwhile, legal experts debate whether a transitional government can legally authorize a major military campaign.
The leader of The Democrats, Yair Golan, warned on Sunday that the risk of another military confrontation with Iran is escalating, arguing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lacks the public trust, moral legitimacy, and basic competence required to manage such a campaign. In a post published on X, Golan called for the immediate formation of an alternative government.
"We have reached a reality of recurring cycles of escalation with Iran, which underscores the magnitude of Netanyahu's failure," Golan wrote. Highlighting the alternative leadership, he added that Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and himself possess deep familiarity with the defense establishment and are committed to Israel's security. In contrast, he labeled the continued tenure of Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as a clear danger to the country.
The Legal Debate Over a Transition Government
Amid these political warnings, Israel is confronting a novel public and legal question: whether a prime minister serving in a transitional government, following the dissolution of the Knesset, possesses the authority to initiate a broad military campaign against Iran. Critics raise concerns that a major conflict could be exploited for political survival or to influence the formation of the 26th Knesset's governing coalition.
From a legal standpoint, Basic Law: The Government stipulates that initiating a war or a significant military operation likely to lead to war requires a decision by the cabinet or the government. Former Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel noted that the legal framework does not explicitly bar a transitional government from waging war, as restrictions on caretaker administrations typically apply to budgetary decisions and political appointments rather than national security and foreign affairs.
Balancing Legal Authority and Public Trust
Conversely, opposition leader Yair Lapid, who previously served as prime minister in a transitional government during Operation Breaking Dawn, emphasized the fundamental principle that caretaker administrations should avoid actions that permanently alter strategic realities. Nevertheless, Israeli law imposes no strict prohibition on a transitional government declaring war, provided the decision is formally approved by the cabinet rather than the prime minister acting unilaterally, leaving the primary check on such power in the hands of the public and the parliament.
