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

The Democrats' Knesset list primaries in May 2024, following Yair Golan's leadership, saw an 86% online turnout from 112,000 members, reflecting a renewed mobilization of Israel's left-wing. Golan, who inherited a struggling Labor party, successfully reunited it with Meretz, with current polls suggesting the Democrats could win around ten seats in the 2026 election. However, the candidate list indicates a significant shift to the far Left, moving away from Labor's historical mainstream roots. Notable candidates include Yair Fink, who raised funds for the Palestinian village of Huwara, and Gaby Lasky, who represented Palestinians convicted of offenses against IDF soldiers. Additionally, Omri Ronen, a founder of Brothers in Arms, called for military refusal, and Moshe Radman controversially stated, "if we survived Hitler, we will survive [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu as well." This list, dominated by figures from the ideological Left and Kaplan protest activists, reflects a party transformed from its formative decades, aligning with Golan's own controversial public statements, such as his May 2025 declaration that "a sane country does not kill babies as a hobby."