MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Just one thing is certain when talking about the Middle East these days - that events there are moving rapidly and dramatically. That was the case earlier this week when I interviewed Yair Golan. He's an Israeli general, now in the reserves, and a politician - chair of the Democrats, a newly formed progressive party in Israel.
Well, I called Golan Tuesday morning, hours after Israel had sent ground troops into Lebanon. Before we had a chance to air the interview, Iran had fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. At this moment, Israel is fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and could soon retaliate against Iran. Golan does not agree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on much of anything, but he does support the strategic objective in Lebanon.
YAIR GOLAN: We need to eliminate the threat from the molten part of Israel. This is totally unacceptable. We live for a year with 60,000 refugees - Israeli refugees inside Israel. In fact, we have created a kind of a security zone inside Israeli soil. This is totally unacceptable. A state should protect its own citizens. We didn't do that. The Israeli government didn't do that for almost a year, so what we see right now in our northern front is a kind of correction to the abnormal situation we have allowed to be created since October 8.
KELLY: So just for people listening to understand, along with your military career, you are the head of a political party there in Israel. You're a former member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Not in Netanyahu's party - in fact, when I met you last year, you had been out on the streets protesting Netanyahu's government right before the war. It sounds like you are aligned with the way that he is conducting these operations to the north?
GOLAN: Not at all, unfortunately, because I'm talking about how to use the military achievements in order to promote, politically and internationally, the Israeli security. It's very unfortunate that Israeli government, and Netanyahu himself, has no intention to take the military achievements in the south and in the north in order to enstrength (ph) the Israeli position in the region and in the world.
And this is really a shame. I'm still protesting against the Netanyahu government because we are truly leaded by unacceptable government right now, with a very, I would say, extreme nationalistic - extreme position, and therefore we need to replace this government as soon as possible.
KELLY: I first spoke with Yair Golan last fall, in the days after October 7, when Hamas had attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people, taking more than 200 people hostage. Golan had spent that day in his car, driving around, trying to rescue people in harm's way after the attack. I asked him to reflect on where Israel is nearly a year later.
So Israel's response after the October 7 attack last year was - the stated goal was to protect the security of Israel. My question to you, General Golan - here we are a year later. Does the security of Israel feel more or less certain? Israel is now at war not just in Gaza, but it would appear opening a second front in the north, in Lebanon.
GOLAN: No doubt that we have achieved some formidable military achievements against Hamas and against Hezbollah. But it's absolutely clear that, without political and international measures, we won't be able to secure these achievements.
KELLY: When you and I last sat down, General, last fall, we spoke about your sons. You have five, all in the military. The oldest was in his mid-30s. The youngest was...
GOLAN: Yes.
KELLY: ...19. He was about to enlist. Do you now have five sons serving in the Israeli military?
GOLAN: Well, right now, I have no son in active reserve service, and therefore only my youngest son in a combatant unit. I can tell you, I'm quite terrified to think about the situation of my son fighting in the south, in the north, without clear political goals. You know, this is totally, totally unacceptable.
KELLY: I remember asking you last year how you talked with your children about what would be worth fighting for, maybe dying for. What are you telling your youngest son?
GOLAN: I tell him, you know, right now, we need to protect our civilians. We need to fight for their security. But I want you to know, my dearest son, that, by the end of the day, in order to secure Israel, we need much more than just fighting and fighting and fighting.
KELLY: You and I also talked about hope. We spoke of hope, how this was a lesson that you took from your father - that he'd been born in Germany. Half his family was killed by Nazis - and that he always told you, look, you have to concentrate on hope and on building something, not on sorrow. Last question - how do you do that now? There's so much trouble, so much sorrow in your part of the world.
GOLAN: You're right. It's tough and complicated, but I'm totally convinced, even more than a year ago, that we have no other choice. We need to concentrate all our energy in building hope, in bringing something good to the region, building something good with the rest of the democratic world. And I think this is a kind of a mission for me, personally, and for many, many Israelis who are willing to secure our existence in order to be part of this troubled region and in order to bring something good to the world.
KELLY: Israeli father and general Yair Golan. He spoke with us from his home outside Tel Aviv earlier this week, as we approach the anniversary of October 7. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
