On October 27, Israelis will head to the polls to vote in what is arguably the most important election in the country’s history.
In our series of explainers, we lay out the runners and riders vying to lead the country, the parties in contention and how Israel’s election process works.
Here’s what you need to know about the Democrats party.
Core position and current power
The Democrats (HaDemokratim) represent the clearest attempt to revive the country’s weakened Zionist left.
The party was formed in June 2024 when the Labour Party, led by Yair Golan, former IDF deputy chief of staff, merged with Meretz, the most left‑wing mainstream party in Israel. The primary aim was to overcome the fragmentation of the Israeli left as both parties chased the same votes. Golan became leader of the new party.
The name reflects the central argument that Israel needs not only a change of government but the restoration of democratic norms, social solidarity and a political alternative to Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition.
The Democrats had four sitting members when the Knesset was dissolved in July, all elected on a Labour ticket before the merger.
Meretz (translates as “vigour”, “energy” or “drive”) lost all parliamentary representation in November 2022, when it failed to meet the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold.
The Democrats describe themselves as a Zionist, liberal‑democratic and social‑democratic party.
The party appeals to secular, liberal and traditionally centre‑left voters. It stands for a secure Jewish and democratic Israel, strong democratic institutions, equality, civil liberties, secularism and a negotiated two‑state solution for the Palestinians.
The Democrats’ central message is that Israel needs a government committed to democratic accountability, competent administration and a political horizon beyond permanent conflict. It wants to replace Netanyahu, but unlike some centrist opposition parties, it also wants to change the direction of Israeli policy on the Palestinians, religion and state, welfare and the judiciary.
Its principal weakness is electoral size. The merger gives the Democrats a stronger organisation than Labour or Meretz could have maintained separately, but it still has limited voter appeal.
Chances of forming the next government?
Small. The Democrats are a small party, and highly unlikely to form the next government on their own. Their more realistic role is as a coalition partner in a broadly centrist anti‑Netanyahu government led either by B'Yachad (Bennett) or Yashar (Eisenkot).
The fly in the ointment would be the Palestinian issue. The Democrats support a negotiated two‑state solution and oppose permanent Israeli control or annexation of the West Bank. By contrast, Yashar currently says it will not put Palestinian statehood on the agenda. B'Yachad is divided: Bennett says no to two states; his partner, Lapid, says probably.
The Democrats’ strongest selling point is that they offer a genuine ideological alternative to Netanyahu, rather than simply campaigning against him. Their greatest weakness is their limited electoral support. They are the principal surviving successor to the once‑mighty Zionist left that founded and shaped the State of Israel.
Who leads the party?
Yair Golan, aged 64, a former major general and former IDF deputy chief of staff.
He won acclaim for his courage on 7 October, when he helped rescue survivors fleeing the Nova music festival massacre.
He has been an outspoken critic of Netanyahu’s government, particularly over the failures surrounding 7 October, the Gaza war and the weakening of democratic checks and balances.
He is also a controversial figure. In a 2016 speech, he warned that troubling trends in Israeli society resembled those of pre‑Holocaust Europe.
And in a 2025 radio interview he provoked an angry response when he said: “A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a pastime, and does not set itself the goal of expelling a population.”
Golan wants to rebuild the Israeli left rather than simply move it closer to the political centre.
After retiring from the IDF, he entered politics as a Meretz member of the Knesset. In May 2024, he won the Labour Party leadership election, then led Labour into an agreement with Meretz to form The Democrats.
The Democrats’ positions on key voter issues
- National security
The Democrats support a strong IDF and Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, but say military force must be linked to a political strategy. They argue that the Gaza war cannot continue indefinitely without a clear plan for the future.
The Democrats are more open than B'Yachad or Likud to a negotiated two‑state solution, arguing that continued occupation and settlement expansion threaten Israel’s democratic character and long‑term security.
- Charedi military conscription
The Democrats support military or national service for everyone. They argue that Haredi exemptions are unfair to secular and religious‑nationalist Israelis who serve in the IDF.
Like B'Yachad – and unlike Likud – the party supports reducing or withdrawing state benefits from Haredim who evade service.
- Democratic institutions
Restoring democratic institutions is one of The Democrats’ central priorities. The party supports an independent state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding 7 October and wants senior political and security officials to be held accountable.
It opposes the Netanyahu coalition’s judicial‑overhaul programme and supports an independent Supreme Court, an accountable executive and clear constitutional rules. The Democrats support a written constitution.
- Religion and state
The Democrats are firmly secular and liberal on religion and state. They are not opposed to religion, but they oppose religious coercion. They strongly support civil marriage, including same‑sex marriage, and full legal equality for LGBTQ people and families.
They call for a unified national core curriculum, to include Hebrew, Arabic and English lessons at all schools – Jewish, Arab, religious or secular.
They are broadly similar to Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beiteinu on religious freedom, although they are at odds over the Palestinian question.
- Cost of living and the economy
The Democrats align economically with the UK’s Labour Party, despite being at the extreme left of Israel’s political spectrum. They are reformist rather than anti‑capitalist.
The Democrats do not seek to abolish private enterprise. They want markets to operate more competitively and within stronger social rules, and to reduce the gap between Israel’s wealthier centre and its poorer periphery.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.