Naama Lazimi wins No. 2 spot after Yair Golan in left-wing Democrats’ primary

MK Naama Lazimi secured the number-two position on the left-wing Democrats party's electoral slate, following leader Yair Golan, in the party's first-ever primary election held on Monday. Twenty candidates were elected from 51 contenders, with a reported 86% turnout among 112,376 registered members in what the party described as Israel's first fully online primary. Lazimi, a prominent left-wing lawmaker, expressed gratitude, stating, "My eternal thanks for the trust and partnership." Golan, who was elected party leader earlier in 2024, vowed that the party's first actions in government would include establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and repealing "every law tied to the judicial overhaul." The Democrats, formed from an alliance of the Labor and Meretz parties, are projected by polls to win 10 or 11 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.