Democrats Party Holds Record Primary with 112,000 Members Ahead of Israel's 26th Knesset Election

The Democrats party conducted its primaries today to finalize its candidate list for Israel's 26th Knesset elections. The party reached a historic membership high of 112,000, surpassing previous records held by the Labor and Meretz parties, which have now united under this joint list. Of these members, 97,000 voted, representing an 86% turnout, using mobile phones and computers for the election.

The list is led by party chairman Yair Golan in the first position. The candidates were selected using a zipper system alternating genders starting from the second spot. Naama Lazimi, currently chair of the Knesset's Special Committee on Youth and a member of the Finance and Education Committees, secured second place. She is known for opposing coalition budget transfers to ultra-Orthodox institutions and participating in protests against the war and for the return of hostages.

Third place went to MK Gilad Kariv, a reform rabbi and advocate for liberal Judaism, who has fought against judicial overhaul efforts and defended protest rights. Fourth is MK Efrat Rayten, former Labor faction chair, active against governmental judicial and media reforms. Fifth is social activist Yair Pink, a leader in social equality protests and head of a faction in the Histadrut labor union.

Other notable candidates include former Meretz MK Gabi Losky (6th), Omri Ronen (7th), a veteran reservist and leader of "Brothers in Arms" from the Gaza envelope, who was recently exempted from reserve duty after draft refusal allegations, former Meretz MK Michal Rozin (8th), tech entrepreneur and protest leader Moshe Redman Abutbul (9th), Arab-Israeli social activist Somia Bashir (10th), and retired Major General Nimrod Sheffer (11th), former CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries and senior Air Force officer.

This diverse list reflects the party's commitment to social justice, opposition to judicial reforms, and inclusion of various sectors of Israeli society. The Democrats aim to present a strong alternative in the upcoming elections, emphasizing protest leadership and social activism.