Democrats formally ratify Labor-Meretz merger at Tel Aviv conference

The Democrats party held a Tel Aviv conference where members voted overwhelmingly to ratify the Labor-Meretz merger originally agreed in 2024, locking in Meretz's reserved slots at positions 6, 8 and 14 on the joint Knesset slate. Leader Yair Golan has faced internal pushback from Meretz figures who accuse him of trying to clear room for new candidates, while recent polls placed the party at roughly 8-11 seats.