Anti-government protest leaders, brother of murdered hostage join The Democrats party

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan announces that several leaders of the anti-government protest movement are joining the left-wing party, and calls on all protest leaders and their supporters to join.

Golan is joined by anti-government protestors and tech entrepreneurs Moshe Radman and Ami Dror, key figures in the widespread movement against the government’s contentious judicial overhaul, and Danny Elgarat, the brother of murdered Hamas hostage Itzik Elgarat, and a prominent advocate on behalf of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

They are also joined by other activists, including Tomer Avital, Lee Hoffman, Moran Michel, Hadas Ragolsky and Kati Piasecki.

“Tonight, the most natural and necessary transition in the past three years is happening,” Golan says, adding that the protest movement is “a part of us, a part of our backbone.”

הערב קורה המעבר הכי טבעי והכי מתבקש שקרה כאן בשלוש השנים האחרונות, הדמוקרטים אומרים בקול ברור: המחאה היא לא אורחת שלנו. המחאה היא בשר מבשרנו. היא חלק מעמוד השדרה שלנו.

אלו ההורים והילדים שהניפו דגלים וצעקו "דמוקרטיה" בגשרים, ואלו האזרחים שהתקבצו בכיכרות בהתמדה ובנחישות מדהימה -… pic.twitter.com/wjjXvmIXT8

— Yair Golan – יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) January 6, 2026

“The Democrats are the home for everyone who took to the streets, for anyone concerned about the fate of the country,” he says, speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters, calling the protest movement the “backbone of democracy.”

“Today, we are opening the doors of the party to new members. We have open primaries for everyone, with many excellent candidates,” Golan says.

“I call on protest leaders and other civil society leaders — come. We need strong Democrats in the next government for the future of the State of Israel,” he adds.