Democratic Primaries Heat Up Amid Controversy Over Leading Candidate Somia Bashir
The Democratic Party primaries scheduled for July 20 have sparked intense competition among 51 candidates, primarily between representatives of Meretz and the Labor Party. Meretz secured two spots in the top ten on the list, fueling ambitions as polls suggest the party could win ten or more seats. Following Yair Golan, the party plans to include three incumbent Knesset members known for their parliamentary excellence: Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, and Efrat Rayten.
Somia Bashir, a 52-year-old social activist from Jatt, is a prominent candidate with strong chances of securing a realistic spot representing minority communities. Senior party officials reveal Bashir is part of a political deal led by candidate Moshe Radman alongside social activist Avi Dabush and activist Moran Mishel. However, information obtained by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth paints a troubling picture of Bashir’s political conduct.
Ahead of the 2022 Knesset elections, Bashir ran in the Labor Party primaries, seeking support and promising a large membership drive to boost her influence. Shortly before the party’s voter registration closed, she submitted over a thousand manual membership forms, many of which were found to share the same credit card number, violating party rules. Despite her and her associate’s claims that digital registration was not feasible in the Arab sector, the party’s CEO, Nir Rosen, declared the drive illegal and invalidated it. Bashir then withdrew her candidacy from Labor primaries. A Labor insider described the effort as a "classic box membership drive."
Bashir also faces sharp criticism from LGBTQ activists accusing her of distancing herself from the community, refusing to be photographed with them or commit to supporting pro-LGBTQ legislation. A Democratic Party source noted she avoids displaying pride symbols or sharing pro-LGBTQ content online. Additionally, her stance on the Gaza conflict drew backlash after she posted a controversial comparison on Facebook in May 2025 likening Gaza residents during the war to Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto.
In response, Bashir stated she severed ties with the activist involved in the disputed membership drive and denied involvement in wrongdoing. She emphasized her commitment to equality for all Israeli citizens regardless of religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation and dismissed negative campaigns against her as attempts to misrepresent her. Meanwhile, party leader Yair Golan and his circle worry about extremist candidates gaining influential list positions and aim to moderate the party’s candidate slate.
