Somaya Bashir, seen as a strong contender for a Knesset slate spot, faces renewed scrutiny over a disputed 2022 Labor membership drive and criticism from LGBTQ activistsYuval Karni|A leading candidate in the Democrats party primary is facing renewed scrutiny over a failed membership drive in the Labor Party ahead of the 2022 election and criticism over her positions on LGBTQ rights and the war in Gaza, as the center-left party prepares for a closely watched leadership contest later this month.The Democrats, an alliance of the former Labor and Meretz parties led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan, will hold primaries on July 20 to determine its candidate list for the next parliamentary election. With the party polling at 10 seats or more, competition for realistic positions on the slate has intensified.GallerySomaya BashirMuch of the tension has centered on representation guarantees given to former Meretz candidates, who were promised two places in the top 10 of the list. Party officials expect Golan to be followed by the faction's three incumbent lawmakers — Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv and Efrat Rayten — all widely regarded as strong parliamentary performers.Among the most prominent candidates is Somaya Bashir, a 52-year-old social activist from the Arab town of Jatt, who is seeking to become one of the party's representatives from the Arab minority.Senior party figures say Bashir is considered a strong contender for a realistic slot and is part of a political alliance led by activist Moshe Radman together with social activist Avi Dabush and activist Moran Michel.However, information obtained by ynet and its parent newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has renewed attention on Bashir's attempt to run in Labor's 2022 primary.According to the report, Bashir sought support from party officials and said she intended to recruit a large number of new members to strengthen her political position ahead of the primary.Shortly before Labor's membership deadline, she allegedly arrived at party headquarters with another Arab community activist carrying hundreds of paper membership forms.The party's then-director general, Nir Rosen, reportedly advised her to use the party's digital registration system instead, saying online registrations could be verified more quickly. Bashir allegedly insisted on submitting paper forms and, according to party estimates, filed more than 1,000 membership applications.After reviewing the forms, Labor officials found that hundreds of applications had been submitted using the same credit card number, a violation of party rules, according to the report.Party officials rejected the registrations, describing them as invalid. Bashir subsequently withdrew her candidacy from the Labor primary.Democrats leader Yair Golan (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)"It was a classic ballot-box membership drive," one former senior Labor official was quoted as saying.Bashir has also drawn criticism from some LGBTQ activists, who accuse her of distancing herself from the community, declining to be photographed with LGBTQ activists and refusing to commit publicly to supporting pro-LGBTQ legislation if elected.A party source also alleged that Bashir has declined to be photographed with Pride flags or share pro-LGBTQ content on her social media accounts.Her comments on the war in Gaza have also come under criticism. In May 2025, Bashir posted images on Facebook comparing Gaza during the war with the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, captioning the photographs "GAZA 2025" and "POLAND 1945."In a statement to ynet, Bashir denied wrongdoing in the 2022 membership affair, saying she relied on another activist from the Arab community to organize the recruitment effort."When I realized there were problems with the membership drive he tried to organize, I immediately cut ties with him and withdrew my candidacy," she said. "I had nothing to do with him after that."She suggested the allegations were politically motivated, noting that the activist was now connected to rival candidates competing for the party's Arab representative slot.Responding to criticism from LGBTQ activists, Bashir said she is "a religious Muslim woman" who has repeatedly met with members of the LGBTQ community and is committed to equal rights for all Israelis "regardless of religion, race, gender or sexual orientation.""I do not respond to negative campaigns that try to paint me in different colors," she said, adding that critics should instead focus on promoting cooperation among Israel's diverse communities.People close to Golan have privately expressed concern that candidates viewed as too ideologically extreme could secure realistic places on the party list, according to party sources. They say Golan's goal is to ensure the final slate reflects a broader political balance.