The Democrats
Israeli-media coverage mentioning The Democrats, translated into English and compared across sources. 48 recent stories.
Polls Show Bennett Slumps to Single Digits as Likud Leads
Two new polls show Likud leading and Naftali Bennett falling sharply, including a Channel 14 survey that gives his party 9 seats. Gadi Eisenkot remains competitive in both seat co…
Netanyahu Seeks Way to Reshape Likud List Amid Primary Fight
Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a workaround to maintain control over Likud’s Knesset list as the party debates its primary rules. The Likud constitution committee meets Sunday, whi…
State Funding Will Cover About NIS 11 Million in Upcoming Likud and Democrats Primaries
Israel will spend about NIS 11 million financing upcoming primaries in Likud and the Democrats. Incumbent MKs can get the money in advance, while non-MK candidates must wait for r…
Hostage Brother Dany Elgert Joins the Democrats’ Primary Race
Dany Elgert, the brother of hostage Itzik Elgert and a leading protest figure, has entered the Democrats party primaries. More than 40 candidates are competing for places on the l…
Ronen Tzur Quits Democratic Party Primary, Blasts Its Leadership
Ronen Tzur withdrew from the Democratic Party primaries and said the party has become too extreme for him. He blamed an anonymous text smear campaign, later traced to Nimrod Sheff…
Southern Democratic candidate says the Negev needs partnership, not scapegoating
Avi Dabush toured the Negev with three fellow Democratic Party primary candidates and argued that the region needs partnership with Bedouins, not collective blame. He backed stron…
Moshe Radman Joins the Democrats Ahead of July Primary
Moshe Radman, a high-tech entrepreneur and protest leader, has officially filed to run in the Democrats party primaries. The vote is set for July 20, as the party finalizes its li…
Jonathan Urich Mocks Ronen Tzur After His Rapid Exit From Labor Primaries
Jonathan Urich mocked Ronen Tzur on social media after Tzur quit The Democrats party primaries just nine days after joining. The exchange follows Tzur’s earlier attack on Urich ov…
Former MK Ram Shefa to Run in Democrats Primaries
Former MK Ram Shefa said on Wednesday he will enter the Democrats party primaries to seek a realistic place on its Knesset slate. After leaving direct politics since the war began…
Gafni Tells Netanyahu: We Have No Trust as Coalition Deal Unravels
Moshe Gafni told Benjamin Netanyahu that the ultra-Orthodox have lost trust in him after he would not advance daycare subsidies. Shas and United Torah Judaism now say they will ba…
Likud MK Tally Gotliv blasts draft arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders and calls for protests
Likud MK Tally Gotliv attacked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, rejected claims that Benjamin Netanyahu wants her off the party list, and lashed out at Yair Golan. She also co…
Shper apologizes to Ronen Tzur after misleading attack texts in Democrats primary
Nimrod Shper apologized to Ronen Tzur after his team sent attack texts that appeared to come from Tzur during the Democrats party primary. The party is reviewing the incident unde…
Hundreds of Female IDF Officers Urge Chief to Reject Rabbis’ Interference in Troop Assignments
Hundreds of IDF female officers have urged Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the defense minister to reject rabbinical interference in the placement of women combat soldiers. They war…
Major Haredi groups plan protest convoy to Prison 10 over draft arrests
Large Haredi groups and the Jerusalem Faction are organizing a convoy protest Wednesday to Prison 10 near Kfar Yona over arrests of yeshiva students and kollel men. Police are dep…
Bismuth Calls on IDF Chief to Bar Brothers in Arms Figures From Military Influence
Boaz Bismuth said he will ask the IDF chief to keep Brothers in Arms figures out of military influence. His remarks followed a News 14 report that Omri Ronen, a former activist an…
Democrats Party Rule Gives Yair Golan Power to Shift Knesset Candidates
The Democrats party has added a clause allowing chairman Yair Golan to move up to two Knesset candidates on the party list. Channel 12 said the rule, approved about two weeks ago…
Former Shin Bet Employee Urges Staff Not to Quit After Pride Event Cancellation
Moran Zer Katzenstein, a former Shin Bet employee and current candidate in The Democrats’ primary, published an open letter after Channel 12 reported the agency had canceled Pride…
Ex-Reservist Protest Activist Spoke to IDF Troops for Pay, Report Says
Channel 14 reported that Omri Ronen, a former Brothers in Arms activist and current Democrats candidate, gave paid lectures to IDF troops and officers over the past year. Ronen sa…
Moshe Kahlon Reportedly Weighing Join-up with Gadi Eisenkot's Party
Channel 14 reported that former finance minister Moshe Kahlon is considering joining Gadi Eisenkot's party, Yashar!. The report aired amid a wider center-left recruitment push ahe…
Bereaved Families Blast Netanyahu-Haredi Deal as “Blood Bargaining”
Netanyahu met Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni on Tuesday to seal a deal meant to avert the Knesset’s dissolution. Bereaved families and opposition figures condemned the reported agreem…
Anger Erupts Over Deri and Gafni’s Ultimatum to Netanyahu
Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni threatened to support dissolving the Knesset unless Netanyahu advances yeshiva-related legislation. The move drew fierce attacks from opposition figures…
Democrats Launch Primary Process as More Than 40 Candidates Expected
The Democrats opened their primary filing process on Tuesday for members seeking Knesset candidacies. Party insiders expect more than 40 contenders to enter the race for realistic…
Yariv Oppenheimer Says Netanyahu Deal Is Unlikely
Yariv Oppenheimer, running in The Democrats’ primary, called for stopping “Jewish terrorism” and said the West Bank situation is a major danger to soldiers and national security…
MK Gilad Kariv Calls to Restore Work Permits for West Bank Palestinians
MK Gilad Kariv said Israel should restore work permits for Palestinians from the West Bank and strengthen the Palestinian Authority. He argued that the current policy helps Hamas…
Democrats primary candidates spark controversy over calls for refusal and military mutiny
With the Democrats party primary approaching, candidates are making increasingly extreme public statements. The report highlights calls for military refusal, meetings with figures…
Former MK Emily Moatti Joins Yair Golan's Democrats for Primary Run
Former Labor MK Emily Moatti said Monday she will run in the primaries of Yair Golan's Democrats party. Her announcement follows former Meretz MK Mossi Raz's decision on Sunday to…
Yair Golan Says He Would Form a Government With Mansour Abbas
Yair Golan said he would build the next government with Ra'am and Mansour Abbas, calling Abbas a proven and workable coalition partner. He ruled out any party from the current coa…
Smotrich warns a left-led government would dismantle West Bank settlement and religious institutions
Bezalel Smotrich warned on Monday that a future left-led government under Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan would target West Bank settlements and religious institutions. He said it co…
Smotrich warns of broader campaign against religious Zionist institutions
Bezalel Smotrich accused Yair Golan of seeking to defund the Bnei David pre-army academy in Eli as part of a broader attack on religious Zionist institutions and settlement. He al…
Author Slams Israeli Journalists for Echoing Provocative Claims About Religious Zionists
Erel Lachmanovitz accuses Israeli journalists of echoing disparaging claims about the national religious sector. He quotes remarks by Naor Narkis, Niv Dvori, and Ben Caspit about…
Senior Education Official Will Not Be Fired After Public Backlash Over Core Studies Enforcement
Israel’s Education Ministry will not fire Shi Kalderon, the official in charge of Haredi education, after public backlash and legal objections. Kalderon had faced removal over enf…
Former MK Mossi Raz Returns to Politics and Joins The Democrats
Former MK Mossi Raz said he is returning to politics and will run for a place on The Democrats' Knesset list. He cited his long-standing fight for peace and against the occupation…
Ronen Tzur Leaves Radio 103FM Panel After Announcing Political Run
Ronen Tzur left his 103FM radio panel on Sunday after announcing plans to run in the Democrats party primaries. He said the hardest part was saying goodbye to Busi, while Busi wis…
Eisenkot Leads Bennett in New Poll-of-Polls, but Opposition Still Falls Short of a Majority
Globs’ new poll-of-polls shows Eisenkot ahead of Bennett and Likud still leading, but the opposition generally remains short of a solo majority. Only one survey gives the non-Arab…
Poll Finds Most Israelis Want Netanyahu to Quit Before Next Election
A Channel 13 poll says 58% of Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to quit before the next election. The survey also found broad dissatisfaction with the outgoing government and showe…
Democrats activists attacked during leafleting in Givatayim
A Democrats campaign team was attacked during street outreach in Givatayim on Friday. Party leader Yair Golan posted video of the incident, blamed Netanyahu’s political camp for f…
Poll Shows Eisenkot Ties Likud as Bennett Slips Further
Netanyahu’s Likud Holds Lead in Channel 14 Poll Despite Iran Deal Backlash
A Channel 14 poll released Thursday night shows Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud still leading despite criticism over the US-Iran deal. The survey gives the right-wing bloc a majority…
Bennett and Lapid Hold Urgent Unity Meeting After Poll Drop
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid convened an urgent Thursday meeting in Ra’anana with Yesh Atid lawmakers and Bennett’s candidates after a sharp poll drop. The alliance fell from 23…
Yurai Lehav Herzon Says the LGBTQ Community Should Back Bennett, Notable New Alliances Still Possible
Yesh Atid MK Yurai Lehav Herzon said Bennett remains the best challenger to Netanyahu and urged the LGBTQ community to back him. He also said new political alliances are still pos…
Naama Lazimi's Old Blondes Look Resurfaces Online
A resurfaced Instagram post shows MK Naama Lazimi with blond hair years before her current look. The article traces her Labor Party rise from Haifa politics and says she later ent…
Week of the U.S.-Iran Understanding, Trump’s Birthday, Police and the Capital Market Regulator
The article criticizes Israel’s handling of the Iran war, Trump’s weekend celebration after a U.S.-Iran understanding, and what it sees as democratic and regulatory failures in Is…
New poll shows Eisenkot surging to 20 seats as Bennett and Lapid fall to 17
A Channel 13 poll shows Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar rising to 20 seats, while Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s party falls to 17. Likud leads with 22 seats, and the opposition bloc rea…
Yair Golan Slams Netanyahu Coalition Over Police Violence and Military Draft Inequality
Yair Golan attacked Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Aryeh Deri on Wednesday over police violence and draft inequality. He said the government protects draft dodgers while…
Yariv Oppenheimer says he will focus on settler violence, outposts and Arab community issues
Yariv Oppenheimer, running on the Democrats list, said he would prioritize fighting settler violence, evacuating outposts and addressing Arab community issues. He also criticized…
Israeli Opposition Parties Compete for Education Ministry
The Democrats said they will demand Israel’s Education Ministry in the next government, escalating an opposition fight over the portfolio. Yair Golan and Naama Lazimi both laid ou…
Police close case over attack on Channel 14 reporter Milen Amr at Tel Aviv protest
Channel 14 reporter Milen Amr said police closed the case over her alleged assault while covering a January Tel Aviv protest. She says the incident was documented, but authorities…
Ronen Tzur lashes out at left-wing critics after joining the Democrats
Ronen Tzur, newly aligned with the Democrats, published an unusually sharp response to left-wing critics attacking his candidacy. He said he is running to defeat Benjamin Netanyah…