Israeli General Turned Lawmaker Emerges as Settler Critic

Israeli Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Yair Golan, a legislator with the dovish Meretz party, poses during an interview with The Associated Press at his office at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Retired general Yair Golan spent a significant part of his military career serving in the occupied West Bank, protecting Jewish settlements. Today, he is one of their most vocal critics.

Golan, a former deputy military chief, is now a legislator with the dovish Meretz party, where he has repeatedly spoken out against settler violence against Palestinians, according to The Associated Press.