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May Golan

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May Golan
מאי גולן‎
Official portrait, 2023
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019Likud
2020–Likud
Personal details
Born
Flora May Bedra-Golan

(1986-05-03) 3 May 1986 (age 38)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Political partyLikud (2015–present)
Other political
affiliations		Otzma Yehudit (2013–2015)

Flora May Bedra-Golan (Hebrew: פלורה מאי בדרה-גולן‎; born 3 May 1986)[1] is an Israeli politician who serves as the Minister for Social Equality and as Minister for Women's Empowerment.[2] She was elected to the Knesset for Likud in the 2022 elections.[3]

She was formerly the CEO of the NGO Hebrew City, and also worked as a campaigner against illegal immigration.[4][5][6][7][8]

Biography

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Flora May Bedra-Golan was born in Tel Aviv,[1] Israel. She is the child of a single Orthodox Jewish mother who made Aliyah from Iraq as a 3-year-old girl as part of Operation Ezra and Nehemiah. She grew up near the old central bus station in South Tel Aviv.[8] She still lives today in South Tel Aviv, with her mother, previously on Mount Zion Street and today in Kfar Shalem.[9]

At the age of 9, Golan was interviewed with her mother as part of a Channel One report on poverty in Israel. They were living on social security in a low-class neighborhood in South Tel Aviv.[10] Following the broadcast, May was contacted by Gila Almagor and her Wish Foundation charity. Identified as a child with potential, she was invited to attend Ironi Dalet High School, located in North Tel Aviv, a higher socioeconomic neighborhood.

Political career

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Golan with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, 23 January 2023

Golan became politically active in 2011, campaigning to raise awareness about the impact of undocumented immigrants from Africa on south Tel Aviv.[11] She became a highly recognisable face in the campaign against the presence of undocumented immigrants in Tel Aviv.[12]

In 2013, she established the organization "Hebrew city", which stood for election to the Tel Aviv city council, but was disqualified for technical reasons.

In the 2013 Israeli legislative election, she was placed at the 10th place candidate for the Otzma Leyisrael party, however the party won no seats due to their failure to pass the election threshold.[5] In the 2015 elections for the 20th Knesset, she was placed 32nd as a candidate for the Likud party, which ultimately went on to receive the highest number of votes.[clarification needed]

In April 2023, prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu nominated May Golan as a consul general to New York. This appointment did not come to fruition due to the opposition of elements in the American government about Golan's past statements regarding African refugees in Israel, which were defined as racist.[2]

Media appearances

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May Golan in Jerusalem, 15 June 2021

May Golan has been a frequent guest on political panels on television channels in Israel. She has also been interviewed by international media organizations, such as the BBC, Reuters, Fox News, i24News, and RTVI.

In 2014, she was chosen as one of the 66 women to be aware of, by the newspaper Haaretz.[13]

In 2015, she was selected as 'Woman of the Year' in the social field by Israel's Channel 7.[14]

In July 2022, TikTok[15] banned her post on violence in South Tel Aviv for incitement to racism.

Controversy

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Golan has attracted international attention for her vocal support of Donald Trump,[6][7] and incendiary remarks about African immigration to Israel.[2][8] When she was accused of racism at protest rallies in her early days as an activist, she was quoted as saying: “If I’m racist in order to preserve my life, I'm proud to be racist.”[16]

In 2013 at a political rally of the Jewish Power party she reiterated, "If I am racist for wanting to defend my country and for wanting to protect my basic rights and security, then I’m a proud racist."[2]

In 2023, a group of former Israeli ambassadors said they were shocked by the appointment of Golan as Israel's new women's advancement minister, saying that “Golan’s appointment is outrageous as she is a racist and divisive figure, which is the exact opposite from what Israel needs in such a critical place.”[2]

In 2024, Golan made a speech in the Knesset during the 2023-24 Israel–Hamas war, in which she said: "I am personally proud of the ruins of Gaza, and that every baby, even 80 years from now, will tell their grandchildren what the Jews did. No dove and no olive branch, only a sword to cut off Sinwar's head, that's what he will receive from us."[17][18]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Knesset Member May Golan". www.knesset.gov.il. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  2. ^ a b c d e McGreal, Chris (2023-04-20). "Israel: self-proclaimed 'racist' politician nominated as New York consul general". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  3. ^ Final results: These will be the members of the 25th Knesset, Ynet, 3 November 2022
  4. ^ Ronen, Gil (23 June 2016). "May Golan declares intention to enter Knesset". Israel National News. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Glazer, Hilo (23 January 2014). "Seeing Red in South Tel Aviv: Meet an Unabashed Right-wing Activist". Haaretz. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b Israeli Trump Supporter: 'People Have the Right to Protect Homes, Borders' 21 Jun, Fox News Insider
  7. ^ a b Kaplan Sommer, Allison (2016-10-25). "At pro-Trump Bash in Jerusalem, Pundits, Firebrands and the Donald". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  8. ^ a b c "I stepped over child drug addicts and prostitutes stacked in the stairwell, but no such fear in south Tel Aviv. We were conquered. Eritreans are permitted to rape, that is their culture" Dror Feuer, 18 January 2014, 12:28, Globes
  9. ^ From south Tel Aviv to the Knesset Itay Blumenthal Posted: 10.04.19, Ynet
  10. ^ May Golan is not willing to let leftists decide who is entitled to human rights Haaretz, 17 January 2014, Hilo Glazer
  11. ^ May Golan pleased to be compared to Miri Regev Ynet, Ben Offer, 20:12:15
  12. ^ May Golan is not ready to let leftists preach human rights Haaretz, 17 January 2014, Hilo Glazer
  13. ^ 66 Israeli Women You Should Know For Israel's 66th Independence Dayהארץ , 2014
  14. ^ The voice that broke the walls of silence כ"ה באלול תשע"ה 09/09/15 10:40
  15. ^ Berski, Anna (2022-07-19). "צנזורה ברשתות החברתיות? טיקטוק חסמה סרטון של ח"כ מאי גולן - וזו הסיבה" [Tiktok Blocked Video of MP May Golan - And This is the Reason]. Maariv (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  16. ^ [1], Haaretz
  17. ^ "Tweet from May Golan". Twitter. 2024-02-21.
  18. ^ "Israeli minister says 'proud' of Gaza destruction". Anadolu Agency. 22 February 2024.
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