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The Democrats (Israel)

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The Democrats
הדמוקרטים‎
LeaderYair Golan
Founders
Founded12 July 2024; 4 days ago (2024-07-12)
Merger ofIsraeli Labor Party
Meretz
HeadquartersTel Aviv, Israel
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left to left-wing[2]
Colours  Blue
  Red
Knesset
4 / 120
Website
democrats.org.il

The Democrats (Hebrew: הדמוקרטים) is a progressive political party in Israel, formed by the merger of the Israeli Labor Party and Meretz in July 2024. It is led by Yair Golan, 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 3.2% 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 3.7% 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.[3]

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[4] (following his actions on 7 October when he rescued several people).[5]

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.[6][7]

Golan launched his leadership campaign for Labor in early March 2024 on a platform of uniting Labor, Meretz and other organisations[8] 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.[9] Golan was elected Labor leader in a "landslide victory" on 28 May 2024.[10]

Announcement of the merger[edit]

On 30 June, the two parties jointly announced that they had agreed to a merger.[4]

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.[10] Golan has said that the party aims to be a "broad home for the liberal-democratic public in Israel".[11] Golan will receive two seats in the top ten slots.[12] 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.[4]

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.[13][14]

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.[13]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "אודות".
  2. ^ Hauser Tov, Michael; Shpigel, Noa (30 June 2024). "Israel's Labor Party, Left-wing Meretz Merge Into One Party, to Be Called 'The Democrats'". Haaretz. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ^ Skolnik, Ron. "INSIGHTS: Can a Labor-Meretz Merger Reinvigorate the Israeli Left?". Israel Horizons. Partners for Progressive Israel. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "העבודה ומרצ הגיעו להסכם על איחוד וייקראו מפלגת "הדמוקרטים"". Haaretz. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Breuer, Eliav (7 March 2024). "Yair Golan launches campaign to lead Labor, Left". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  9. ^ Kraiem, Leon (18 March 2024). "'A strong Zionist alternative': Yair Golan announces new political camp". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Azulay, Moran (30 June 2024). "Meretz, Labor Party merge as Israeli left unites, forming The Democrats". Ynet. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b Breuer, Eliav (11 July 2024). "Labor, Meretz delegates to approve merger in Tel Aviv convention". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  14. ^ Shalev, Tal (12 July 2024). "With an overwhelming majority, Meretz and Labor approve merge, becoming the Democrats". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
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