The left-wing Democrats party announced on Sunday that its newest member would be women’s rights activist Moran Zer Katzenstein, founder of the Bonot Alternativa (building an alternative) organization, which promotes gender equality.
Katzenstein is the latest addition to the party ahead of its upcoming primaries, which have not been set yet. The Democrats party is composed of the Labor and Meretz parties, which merged in 2024.
Making the announcement, party leader Yair Golan vowed that a government led by him after the upcoming elections would anchor gender equality into the country's Basic Laws.
He also stated that the party would promote civil marriage and cancel the recently passed law that expanded the powers of rabbinical courts.
Civil marriage is not performed in Israel, as the religious status quo in the country dictates that Jews can only marry and divorce through the rabbinate.
Further, the law to expand the power of rabbinic courts to act as arbitrators in limited civil matters has drawn sharp criticism from gender equality organizations, who have expressed strong concern that the nature of the courts could harm women’s rights.
Golan also pledged to establish an authority for combating gender-based violence, ensure at least 40% representation for women, and increase penalties for violence against them.
Katzenstein said upon joining the party that the Bonot Alternativa organization began as a women’s movement, and today "it is a movement for all citizens of the State of Israel."
"From Bonot Alternativa, determined, strong, and constructive women have emerged. And now we are taking a step forward into national leadership."
She praised the Democrats, saying that she was joining “the most principled, fighting, and democratic party there is.”
Katzenstein also sharply criticized the current government, saying it was acting to destroy, dismantle, and break the entire liberal system of values.
Head of Democrats' women’s headquarters warns 'no thriving country is a religious state'
Head of the Democrats’ women’s headquarters and co-founder of Bonot Alternativa, Hadas Regolsky, added that there is no “normal, thriving country in the world” that is a religious state.
She vowed that the Democrats would provide equal opportunity to "every girl and boy, in education, academia, the military, the labor market, and in politics."
“Together, we will safeguard a free, liberal, equal, Jewish, and democratic Israel, for all our children, she added.
Katzenstein’s addition to the Democrats comes after other organization heads and anti-government protest leaders have announced that they would join the party and run in its upcoming primaries ahead of the elections.
Executive director of the Rabbis for Human Rights organization, Avi Dabush, announced last month that he will run for a spot on the party’s slate.
Social activist and reservist Omri Ronen also announced in February that he would join the party.
Ronen is a leader of the Brothers and Sisters in Arms organization, who participated in protests against the government’s judicial reform.
Golan announced in January that several other figures from the judicial and hostage-protest movements would join as well.
Among those confirmed were Moshe Radman, Moran Michel, Danny Elgarat, Hadas Ragolsky, Gaby Lasky, Ami Dror, Lee Hoffman, Kati Piasecki, Rotem Sivan, and Tomer Avital.
General elections are currently scheduled to take place no later than October.