Why I’m voting for the Democratim 

And why I believe that you should, too.

Nearly every conversation I’ve had in Israel recently either begins or ends with the same question, “Nu, what do you think will happen?” Implied is the concern everyone has on their mind: what will Israelis decide at the voting booths this October 27th, 2026, two weeks from today. Will a population pummeled by three years of war, by four years of social strife, by 200 weeks of protests, decide to remain loyal to the political parties which define our sectoral identities, or will Israelis decide to stop the bleeding and begin the healing?

Implied, also, is the recognition that this election is not clear-cut. Despite years of polling that show that 70% of Israelis oppose this current government, somehow a sizable proportion of the public are willing to hold their nose and vote for it once more. Much of this is simple demographics: Israelis tend to vote based on their religious affiliation, due to cultural norms. This is especially stark when it comes to Israel’s ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) and national religious populations (who together represent approximately 20% of the electorate), whose cultures are inherently authoritarian in structure, where the word of the religious authority determines individual choice. These publics tend to vote religiously, literally. No exceptions. Given historic voting rates (percentage of the population that actually goes out to vote), we can project these two demographics to capture approximately 30% of the seats in the Knesset. The additional 10-15% we see reflected in the polls, one can assume, come from those traditional Likud voters whose loyalty overpowers their reason.

This article is not for them. If you support the current coalition, I honestly would love to hear why in the comments. This article is meant for those on the fence, trying to decide who to vote for on October 27th, and why I recommend voting for the Democratim (led by Yair Golan).

Let’s start with the admission that I do not believe the Democratim will be given the mandate to form a government, and Yair Golan is certainly not a candidate for Prime Minister. I believe that is an important point, because it removes the question of Golan’s personality from the equation. Although I find him inspiring (while our current prime minister complained about not being woken up on October 7th, Golan heard the radio, grabbed an old uniform and a gun, and rushed to rescue Israelis on the front), he is too controversial to lead the healing our country requires.

Yet Golan is not the only member of the Democratim, and both the party structure and culture ensure all voices are heard. Each of the candidates on the Democratim’s realistic list (of the top 15 who might become sitting members of Knesset if the party indeed wins 15 seats) are experienced, seasoned, principled individuals who have proven through their words and actions over the past four years that they are dedicated to rehabilitating Israel as a Jewish, democratic state: a state that enables the Jewish People to determine our destiny without denying the rights and representation of those non-Jews who live among us.

Moreover, the Democratim are, I believe, the only list that represents the grassroots protest movement that kept Israel resilient over the past four years: while Yahad led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid organized a talented bench of ex-executives ready for leadership positions in committees and ministries, and Yashar led by Gadi Eisenkot brought together a group reflecting the heterogeneity of Israeli Jewish society, the Democratim have fielded a team of doers, who joined us weekly in the junctions, who fought hard to limit the overreach of the current government. Many of whom spent day and night in the Knesset over the past four years, using every parliamentary tool available to protect the interests of tax-paying Israelis. If you’re looking to mitigate the risk that the next government will be like this last one, the Democratim are the best bet to make, even if you don’t agree with them on everything.

And that makes sense, since each of the candidates was chosen democratically by a broad public that stands in opposition to this current government. As opposed to the other party lists where the leader decides who will be on the list and where, every member of the Democratim’s list represents the public that chose them, and will only be chosen again if they do the job the public chose them for – thereby substantially reducing the risk of turncoating.

Also, from personal experience with many of the candidates on the list, I know they understand that they will need to work with others across the ideological spectrum, and are prepared to make hard compromises to save Israel from its extremists and authoritarian tendencies. They know it is their duty to begin the thankless work of deradicalization on both sides, amongst all peoples between the River and the Sea, so that we may one day emerge into a new era of peace and stability.

To be clear: I want Gadi Eisenkot to be Israel’s next Prime Minister, both because I believe he has the temperament and moral backbone to begin Israel’s rehabilitation, and because our country needs its first Moroccan leader. But for Eisenkot’s government to be successful, a strong turnout for the Democratim is critical. Because without a strong Democratim, the pressure on Eisenkot to form a national unity government with Netanyahu’s perverted version of Likud will be too strong to avoid. And a national unity government with the current members of Knesset on the authoritarian-right risks further degradation of our country.

If you are in Israel on October 27th, I hope you will join me in supporting the Democratim. And if you are not in the country, or do not have the right to vote, I hope you will consider advocating for the party and supporting their efforts to share their message with your friends and family in Israel.