The Democrats (Hebrew: הדמוקרטים, romanized: HaDemokratim) is a Zionist 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,[5] who was the Labor Party leader prior to the merger and previously served as an MK for the Democratic Union, before joining Meretz.
The Democrats הדמוקרטים | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair | Yair Golan |
| Founders | |
| Founded | 12 July 2024 |
| Merger of | Israeli Labor Party Meretz |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Ideology | Social democracy[1] Secularism[2][better source needed][non-primary source needed] Zionism[3] |
| Political position | Centre-left[4] |
| Colours | Blue |
| Knesset | 4 / 120 |
| Website | |
| democrats | |
History
editBackground
editIn 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 the anti-Netanyahu bloc's failure to win enough seats to stop Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a government.[6]
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[7] (following his actions on 7 October when he rescued several people).[8]
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.[9][10]
Golan launched his leadership campaign for Labor in early March 2024 on a platform of uniting Labor, Meretz and other organisations[11] 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.[12] Golan was elected Labor leader in a "landslide victory" on 28 May 2024.[13]
Announcement of the merger
editOn 30 June, the two parties jointly announced that they had agreed to a merger.[7]
According to a press release, the merger is "not a 'technical bloc', but rather a historical process that produces, finally, one large and united party, a liberal-democratic Zionist party that will be a political home for a large part of the Israeli population". 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.[13] Golan has said that the party aims to be a "broad home for the liberal-democratic public in Israel".[3] Golan will receive two seats in the top ten slots.[14] 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.[7]
Approval of the merger
editA 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.[15][16]
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.[15]
Policies
editThe party supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[17]
Leaders
edit| Leader | Took office | Left office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yair Golan | 2024 | |||
Knesset members
edit| Knesset | Members | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| 25th (2024–present) | Merav Michaeli, Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Efrat Rayten | 4 / 120
|
See also
editReferences
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 5 November 2024.
- ^ "הבית הדמוקרטי" [Our Vision]. The Democrats (in Hebrew). Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ a b Sokol, Sam (30 June 2024). "Labor and Meretz merge into a united "liberal-democratic Zionist party": The Democrats". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ https://asiaelects.com/israel/
- ^ 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.
- ^ Daphna Liel (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.
- ^ "'I'm not sure Israel is a democratic state any more': Yair Golan's mission to save his country". The Guardian. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
External links
edit- Official website (in Hebrew)