Meretz

Israel Election 2026: What does Yair Golan’s Democrats party stand for?

“If I put this ballot in the box, what government, policies, and political reality am I helping create?”

Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats party, with party members following the announcement of the results of The Democrats party primaries ahead of the upcoming elections, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 20, 2026.
(L-R): Yair Golan, Gilad Kariv

No. 47: Yair Golan and Gilad Kariv: Reviving Israel’s fractured Left

Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats party, with party members following the announcement of the results of The Democrats party primaries ahead of the upcoming elections, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 20, 2026.

Yair Golan's Democrats list for the Knesset cements Labor's shift to the far Left - opinion

Leader of the Democrats party Yair Golan leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on June 15, 2026.

Democrats Party breaks record of 75,000 members, sets date for primaries ahead of elections


Meretz, Labor reach tentative surplus vote-sharing agreement

The agreement stipulates that after being allocated their number of seats in the Knesset, the two parties pool their votes together in an attempt to win one of the "leftover" seats. 

 (L-R) MKs Michal Rozin (Meretz) and Ram Shefa (Labor) following the signing of a vote-share agreement on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

Activists call for Labor-Meretz merger ahead of elections

Michaeli has consistently refused to enter negotiations with Meretz, arguing that the two parties were different. Galon, on the other hand, supports such a move.

 Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli, Meretz leader Zehava Galon

What are questions that remain for Israel's political parties - analysis

With the primary season over, which questions remain for Israel's political parties?

Illustrative: A voting box in the an Israeli election in 2015.

Grapevine August 26, 2022: Happy anniversary

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

 US AMBASSADOR Tom Nides (right) looks at the nano-Bible at the David and Janet Polak Visitors Center, alongside Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan.

Israel elections: With primary elections over, focus returns to mergers

Will Meretz merge with Labor? Will Religious Zionist Party fold to Itamar Ben-Gvir's demands?

 Zehava Galon, former head of the Meretz party.

Zehava Galon wins Meretz primary election, Horowitz drops out of Knesset

Galon beats Golan in Meretz leadership race, Raz and Rozin jump into top three, pushing him down to fifth place, and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz crashes out of the Knesset.

 Meretz's Knesset candidates following Zehava Galon's primary victory on August 23, 2022

Meretz, Religious Zionism primary elections coming up on Tuesday

The Religious Zionism primary election comes in the wake of Otzma Yehudit leader MK Itamar Ben Gvir's announcement on August 15 that his party will run independently.

Israelis cast their votes at a voting station in Jerusalem, during the Knesset Elections, on March 23, 2021

Israel Elections: Eisenkot gives National Unity 2 seats – poll

Following the split between Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, Otzma Yehudit won 7 seats versus Religious Zionism's 5 ahead of Israeli elections.

 Illustration from a polling station in Jerusalem, as Israelis vote in their general elections, on March 23, 2021

Israel has forgotten what normality is - Haredi Meretz candidate Kaplan

"There is nothing on the Meretz platform that a haredi person, that a person who has 'yirat shamayaim', fear of heaven [cannot support]."

  Haredi Meretz candidate Ofra Kaplan/

‘Israel is my state and the Palestinians are my people' - interview with Esawi Frej

"Why do we serve in the Knesset? So we can deliver fiery speeches? We serve in the Knesset to change things, to serve a community," said the retiring Meretz MK.

  Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej.