Yair Golan Condemns Naor Narkis After Remarks on Religious Zionist Fallen Soldiers

Democrats chairman Yair Golan publicly condemned remarks made by activist Naor Narkis, who is expected to run in the party’s upcoming Knesset primaries, after Narkis sparked outrage with comments about religious Zionist soldiers killed in the war.

The controversy began after Narkis, a secular activist known for sharp criticism of religious and Charedi communities, claimed that religious Zionist fighters had fallen in high numbers because many Hesder soldiers serve shorter mandatory service than secular combat soldiers.

Speaking in an interview on i24NEWS, Narkis was asked about the heavy sacrifices made by the religious Zionist community during the fighting. He responded: “If they had done full service like secular soldiers, maybe they would not have fallen so much.”

He argued that Hesder soldiers, who combine yeshiva study with military service, enter the battlefield with less experience than soldiers who serve a full three years. Narkis compared it to the difference between a doctor with three years of experience and one with a year and a half.

His comments drew immediate criticism from across the political system. Former minister Matan Kahana called the remarks disgraceful and said it was shameful to speak that way about religious Zionist soldiers who gave their lives in battle. Kahana also urged Golan to condemn the comments.

Golan responded Sunday in a statement to Ynet, making clear that Narkis’s remarks do not represent him or the party.

“Fighters who fell defending the State of Israel do not need to justify themselves to anyone,” Golan said. “They stood up when they were called, carried the security of the state on their shoulders, and did their part until the end.”

Golan said that on the battlefield, sectoral labels should disappear.

“In the battlefield there are no sectors. There are no Hesder soldiers, kibbutzniks, city residents or moshavniks. There are IDF soldiers,” he said.

He added that any attempt to connect a political debate, however important, to the sacrifice of soldiers who fell in battle is wrong and does not reflect either his values or those of the Democrats.

Golan said debates over the character of Israeli society and the burden of service should continue, but not at the expense of fallen soldiers.

“We will conduct the debates over Israeli society and the sharing of the burden with determination, but outside the cemeteries,” he said. “Toward those who paid with their lives for all of us, what is required is humility, respect and gratitude.”

Golan said the public’s duty is to remember the fallen, embrace their families and never place responsibility for their deaths on the soldiers themselves.