The Democrats (Israel)
The Democrats הדמוקרטים | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair | Yair Golan |
| Founders |
|
| Founded | 12 July 2024 |
| Merger of | Israeli Labor Party Meretz |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left[3] to left-wing[2] |
| European affiliation | Party of European Socialists (observer) |
| International affiliation | Socialist International[4] Progressive Alliance[5] |
| Colours | Blue |
| Knesset | 4 / 120 |
| Website | |
| democrats | |
| Part of a series on the |
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|---|
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The Democrats (Hebrew: הדמוקרטים, romanized: HaDemokratim) is a social democratic political party in Israel, formed by the merger of the centre-left Israeli Labor Party and the left-wing Meretz party in July 2024. It is led by Yair Golan,[6] who was the Labor Party leader prior to the merger and previously served as an MK for the Democratic Union, before joining Meretz.
History
[edit]Background
[edit]In the 2022 Israeli legislative election, the left-wing Meretz party won 3.16% of the vote failing, for the first time, to pass the electoral threshold (3.25%) required to qualify for seats in the Knesset, while the Labor Party just managed to pass, with 3.6% of the vote, winning only four seats, its worst ever performance in terms of popular vote. Labor leader Merav Michaeli was criticised for having refused to enter into an electoral pact with Meretz as the party's loss contributed to Benjamin Netanyahu's victory in the election.[7]
Negotiations began between Labor and Meretz following the 2022 election, with Meretz party secretary general Tomer Reznik and former Meretz MK Michal Rozin heading negotiations on behalf of their party and Labor MKs Gilad Kariv and Naama Lazimi in charge of the negotiations for Labor, with Yair Golan joining the negotiations later[8][9]
Polling conducted throughout 2023 and in 2024, in the months prior to Labor's leadership election, suggested that in the next Israeli legislative election Labor may fail to pass the threshold and be shut out of the Knesset, while Meretz was projected to narrowly pass the threshold and win four seats, while polls taken in June prior to the merger agreement projected that if the parties were to run together, they would win more than ten seats.[10][11]
Golan launched his leadership campaign for Labor in early March 2024 on a platform of uniting Labor, Meretz and other organisations[12] and announced the formation of The Democrats on 18 March 2024, laying out his vision for an alternative to the Netanyahu government and calling for an early Knesset election.[13] Golan was elected Labor leader in a "landslide victory" on 28 May 2024.[14]
Announcement of the merger
[edit]On 30 June, the two parties jointly announced that they had agreed to a merger.[8] Under the merger agreement, there will be one Meretz representative in every four spots on the new party's electoral list, as well as on the party bodies, and there will also be representation for Meretz's municipal factions.[14] Golan has said that the party aims to be a "broad home for the liberal-democratic public in Israel".[2] Golan will receive two seats in the top ten slots.[15] The representation agreement will only be in effect for the next election, after which the party's electoral slate and members of representative bodies will be chosen by party primaries. The agreement designated Labor Party leader Yair Golan as leader and chairman of the new party.[8]
Approval of the merger
[edit]A convention made up of delegates from both Labor and Meretz and also representatives of the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests approved the merger on 12 July 2024 in Tel Aviv.[16][17]
Under the agreement, Meretz and Labor continue as separate corporate and budgetary entities, and their factions in the Histadrut, municipal councils, and other bodies outside the Knesset will not merge at this stage, but will cooperate.[16]
Despite the merger, members of The Democrats continue to be identified in the 25th Knesset as members of the Israeli Labor Party, as Ofir Katz, the chairman of the Knesset House Committee, and other members of the government coalition sitting on the committee, refused to agree to formally rename the Knesset faction.[18]
Policies
[edit]Israel-Palestine conflict
[edit]The party supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[19] Yair Golan states The Democrats is the only Zionist party which opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.[19]
Judiciary
[edit]The party opposes the 2023 Israeli judicial reform. The party's merger agreement states: "We will fight for a full and substantial democracy (...) which will include protection of individual rights and minority rights (...) we will uphold the full separation of powers, prevent abuses by government institutions, and safeguard the judicial independence".[20]
Economy
[edit]The party supports social-democratic policies, such as affordable housing, equal opportunities, welfare state, strengthening of trade unions and opposition to privatization of public sectors such as healthcare and education.[20]
Social
[edit]The party supports repealing the Nation State Bill, a Basic Law that enshrines Israel's status as a Jewish state, on the grounds that it is discriminatory towards non-Jews.[20][21]
Leaders
[edit]| Leader | Took office | Left office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Yair Golan | 12 July 2024 | Incumbent | |
Knesset members
[edit]| Knesset | Members | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| 25th (2024–present) | Merav Michaeli, Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Efrat Rayten[a] | 4 / 120
|
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The Democrats' members sit in the 25th Knesset as members of the Israeli Labor Party.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ Gallindoss, Alan (1 July 2024). "Israel's Left-Wing Parties Labor and Meretz Unite: The Democrats Emerge to Challenge Netanyahu's Government". Jewish Business News. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
Reznik envisions The Democrats as a social democratic party that will champion both social issues and security concerns while promoting peace.
- ^ a b c Sokol, Sam (30 June 2024). "Labor and Meretz merge into a united "liberal-democratic Zionist party": The Democrats". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ "Israel".
- ^ "Members - Socialist International". www.socialistinternational.org.
- ^ "Parties & Organisations". Progressive Alliance.
- ^ Fink, Rachel (23 September 2024). "Ex-IDF General, The Democrats Leader Yair Golan Visiting U.K., Set to Meet With PM Starmer". Haaretz. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Skolnik, Ron. "INSIGHTS: Can a Labor-Meretz Merger Reinvigorate the Israeli Left?". Israel Horizons. Partners for Progressive Israel. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ a b c "העבודה ומרצ הגיעו להסכם על איחוד וייקראו מפלגת "הדמוקרטים"". Haaretz. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Sales, Ben (30 June 2024). "Israel's Labor and Meretz parties merge into new left-wing alliance called the Democrats". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Sokol, Sam (27 May 2024). "'A political corpse': Tuesday primary could mark revival of ailing Labor party". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Liel, Daphna (24 June 2024). "סקר חדשות 12: מפלגת ימין חדשה - הגדולה ביותר; בנט מתחזק בהתאמה לראשות הממשלה". N12 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ Breuer, Eliav (7 March 2024). "Yair Golan launches campaign to lead Labor, Left". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Kraiem, Leon (18 March 2024). "'A strong Zionist alternative': Yair Golan announces new political camp". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ a b Sokol, Sam (28 May 2024). "Yair Golan wins landslide victory in Labor primary with promise to unite the left". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Azulay, Moran (30 June 2024). "Meretz, Labor Party merge as Israeli left unites, forming The Democrats". Ynet. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ a b Breuer, Eliav (11 July 2024). "Labor, Meretz delegates to approve merger in Tel Aviv convention". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ Shalev, Tal (12 July 2024). "With an overwhelming majority, Meretz and Labor approve merge, becoming the Democrats". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ a b Rubin, Bentzi; Breuer, Eliav (25 February 2025). "Coalition denies Labor Party's bid to change name to The Democrats". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
- ^ a b McKernan, Bethan (12 August 2024). "'I'm not sure Israel is a democratic state any more': Yair Golan's mission to save his country". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Israeli Labor Party; Meretz. "הסכם איחוד פוליטי" [Political union agreement] (PDF) (in Hebrew). pp. 2–3 – via Walla.
- ^ "יאיר גולן, שנה כיוון, דבר שלום". מחסוםווטש (in Hebrew). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Hebrew)