Israel's Democrats Party Finalizes Election List after High‑Turnout Primaries

On 20–21 July 2026 the newly formed left‑wing Democrats party in Israel completed its internal primaries, the first held virtually, with more than 97,000 registered members – about 86 % of eligible voters – casting ballots via mobile phones. Party leader and former deputy chief of staff Yair Golan retained the top spot on the slate, followed by Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv and Efrat Rayten, all current Knesset members. The list of 51 candidates reflects a gender‑balanced "Ritz" system and includes representatives of the Meretz merger, Arab and Druze communities, and activists from civil society.

The party, which merged Labour and Meretz, announced its election campaign focusing on establishing a commission of inquiry into the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack. Polls project the Democrats to win roughly ten seats, positioning them as the main opposition force to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the only non‑Arab party endorsing a two‑state solution.