Next Knesset May See Decline in Representation for Ethiopians, Women, LGBTQ
The upcoming 26th Knesset may experience a significant decrease in diversity, with particular concern for the representation of Israelis of Ethiopian descent, women, and the LGBTQ community. There is a tangible fear that there may be no Knesset members of Ethiopian origin in the next parliament, a stark contrast to the two currently serving: Moshe Solomon of the Religious Zionism party and Pnina Tamano-Shata of the National Unity party. Despite internal protests within campaign teams, major and new parties, including Naftali Bennett's "Achva" and Gadi Eisenkot's list, have not secured safe or realistic spots for community members. If smaller parties with Ethiopian representation fail to pass the electoral threshold, the Knesset could be entirely devoid of members from this community.
Furthermore, the proportion of women in the Knesset is also projected to decline. While some center-left parties, like Yair Golan's Democrats, maintain a gender-alternating system, right-wing and Haredi parties offer very low or no female representation. Haredi parties do not include women, and the Likud and Religious Zionism parties have only a few women placed in early positions on their lists. This trend also affects women who immigrated from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and the West, partly due to the lack of prominent reserved spots in major parties.
The representation of the LGBTQ community is also expected to shrink considerably. The outgoing Knesset had approximately six openly LGBTQ members, including Amir Ohana, Idan Roll, Yorai Lahav-Hertzanu, and Eitan Ginzburg. For the next Knesset, only Amir Ohana from the Likud, and potentially Idan Roll and Eitan Ginzburg whose placements are considered borderline, are likely to secure seats. Other prominent figures from the community have been relegated to non-realistic positions on various party lists. Consequently, LGBTQ representation in the next Knesset is anticipated to be reduced to just one or two members, down from about six in the current one.
