Horowitz defeated incumbent MK Tamar Zandberg becoming Israel’s first gay party leader.During the campaign for the party’s leadership, Zandberg’s heavy focus was on increasing and emphasizing Meretz commitment to Jewish-Arab cooperation and making the party appeal to the Arab electorate.Horowitz, on the other hand, showed greater inclination to unite with other left-wing parties, something that could lead to division within Meretz.In his victory speech, the new chairman addressed the fact that he has become Israel’s first gay party leader, saying that it was “very emotional” for him but that he expected in coming years it to become something “not out of the ordinary.“Meretz is the home of the gay community, it has proved this over decades, and it will increase its efforts," he continued. "In Meretz, LGBTs are not a fig leaf, not some nice decoration without any substance or content. Meretz will fight for our freedom, the freedom of all men and women of the gay community to be free, equal people with equal rights in this land.”Jeremy Sharon contributed to this reporting.לאור השותפות הערבית- יהודית העמוקה במרצ, ולרגל היבחרו של ניצן הורוביץ ליו״ר המפלגה, אין לי ספק ששבוע הבא מרצ מארגנת מצעד גאווה ססגוני באום אל פאחם!
— Yair Netanyahu (@YairNetanyahu) June 27, 2019
Yair Netanyahu to new Meretz head: Go organize a Pride in Umm al-Fahm
Nitzan Horowitz was elected leader of the Meretz Party, defeating incumbent MK Tamar Zandberg and becoming Israel’s first gay party leader on Thursday night.
