Retired Superintendent Dany Elgert, one of the most prominent public activists over the past year and a leader in the campaign for the hostages’ families, announced on Thursday morning that he has formally entered the primary election of the united Democrats party led by Yair Golan. Elgert, whose brother Itzik Elgert was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and later killed in Hamas captivity, has become one of the sharpest and most visible voices in the hostage families’ protests against the government.
By joining the race, Elgert is trying to turn his public activism into a Knesset seat. After submitting his candidacy papers, he wrote to supporters on social media: “We are setting out on a journey to save democracy with the Democrats.” His entry bolsters the list’s protest wing and street-level activists, within a party formed by the merger of Labor and Meretz alongside new civic forces.
The contest is expected to be highly competitive. Registration for the primaries closed on Thursday, and more than 40 notable candidates are running for spots on the list, including sitting lawmakers, veteran figures from the left, and other protest leaders such as high-tech entrepreneur Moshe Radman. The final shape of the list will be decided by tens of thousands of voters in a digital ballot.
According to the party, more than 80,000 registered members will take part, a record number for the camp in decades. The internal election to determine the party’s final Knesset slate is set for July 20, and each voter will choose between 6 and 8 preferred candidates.
