Yair Golan, chairman of Israel’s left-wing Democrats party, has declared that separating religion from the state and removing religious influence from public life will be central priorities of his political agenda, explicitly calling for public transportation on Shabbos and the introduction of civil marriage in Israel.

In remarks publicized Thursday, Golan outlined his vision for changing the relationship between religion and government, identifying two major reforms that he intends to pursue as part of his party’s platform.

“א clear separation between religion and state, beginning first and foremost with removing religion from the public sphere. There will be public transportation on Shabbos, and it will be possible to enter into civil marriages in Israel. I am presenting these as two central priorities,” Golan said, according to a translation of his Hebrew remarks.

The comments reflect Golan’s longstanding support for changes to Israel’s religious status quo, particularly in areas where religious law and institutions currently influence government policy and public services.

His latest statement, however, went beyond advocating specific changes to transportation and marriage laws. Golan explicitly spoke of removing religion from the public sphere, language that raises broader questions about the extent of the changes he envisions.

Golan made the remarks during a meeting with party activists living abroad, in comments publicized by Israel’s Channel 14 ahead of the October 27 Knesset elections.

His proposals are consistent with the Democrats party’s published platform, which calls for the establishment of a civil marriage system alongside the Chief Rabbinate and the introduction of public transportation on Shabbos.

Under the party’s more detailed policy document, local authorities would be empowered to determine the extent of Shabbos transportation in their communities. The proposal envisions limited service in secular and mixed areas while preserving the character of Shabbos in religious neighborhoods.

Golan’s latest language has nevertheless drawn particular attention because of his use of the phrase “removing religion from the public sphere,” which goes beyond the specific proposals concerning transportation and marriage.

The Democrats chairman did not explain precisely what additional measures he envisions under that description, leaving unclear whether he intends primarily to reduce the authority of religious institutions over government services or pursue more extensive changes to the country’s public character.

The remarks prompted a sharp response from Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who accused Golan and the political left of threatening Israel’s Jewish identity.

“Yair Golan is openly saying what a left-wing government intends to do: erase the Jewish identity of the State of Israel,” Deri said in a statement Thursday.

“We are facing a real danger. The choice is now clearer than ever: Shas and a Jewish state, or the left and a state like all other nations.”