The left-wing Democrats Party announced on Wednesday that it had surpassed 75,000 members, setting a new membership record, and that it had decided on a date for its primaries to determine the party’s Knesset list ahead of the upcoming elections.
The Democrats Party is composed of the Labor and Meretz parties, which merged in 2024. The party leadership approved July 20, 2026, as the date for the primaries, pending final approval by the Central Elections Committee.
The party stated that it expects more than 50 candidates to run for places on the list as part of an “open and transparent democratic process, one of the largest and most significant in Israel’s political system.”
The deadline for submitting candidacies for the Democrats primaries has been set for June 25, while the party’s voter registry for the primaries will close on July 13.
The number of members in the Democrats Party recently surpassed the 75,000 mark. The party said that due to rising demand, registration and onboarding systems have been significantly expanded. It also noted that this was the highest membership figure recorded in the political camp since the late 1990s.
The moral and leading force in the next government
Democrats leader Yair Golan said on Wednesday that his party “will be the moral and leading force in the next government, and I call on anyone who truly wants change to join us now.”
A growing number of public figures have joined the party and announced plans to run in the primaries.
Social and political activist Yaya Fink said this week that he would run, along with former Meretz MK Michal Rozin.
Executive director of the organization Rabbis for Human Rights, Avi Dabush, will also run in the primaries.
Social activist and reservist Omri Ronen announced in February that he would join the Democrats Party, alongside several figures from the judicial reform and hostage deal protest movements.
Among those who have confirmed their candidacies are Moshe Radman, Moran Michel, Danny Elgarat, Hadas Ragolsky, Gaby Lasky, Ami Dror, Lee Hoffman, Kati Piasecki, Rotem Sivan, and Tomer Avital.
General elections are scheduled to take place no later than October 27.