'I want 50% women in every party': Can Israel's next Knesset achieve equal representation?

Yael Yechieli, an Israeli activist, founded the 5050 project to advocate for equal gender representation in Israeli politics, aiming for a 50/50 split between men and women in the Knesset and municipal councils. Motivated by observing gender representation in other countries and the lack of women in Israel's previous government, Yechieli launched the initiative in 2022 after the general elections. The project successfully pressured municipal parties to adopt "zipper lists" (alternating genders on party lists), resulting in 21 municipal councils achieving 50/50 representation in the last local elections. The 5050 project is now targeting the upcoming 2026 Knesset elections, engaging with party leaders and media to push for similar commitments at the national level. Yechieli stated, "I want 50% women in all of these parties, even the parties I don't vote for."