Meretz has become the first party in Israel to establish a framework in the party’s bylaws on preventing sexual harassment.
The decision came in a near-unanimous vote after a council meeting conducted Thursday night. The votes were counted on Friday.
The change is the initiative of Meretz minister Tamar Zandberg and the head of the faction, Michal Rozin.
It happened three months after allegations against Tel Aviv city councilman Etai Pinkas Arad of Meretz by a former lover which forced him to resign from the city council. Pinkas Arad was seen as a role model in the LGBT community.
“There is no organization or sphere that is immune to sexual harassment, and current sexual harassment laws do not deal with political frameworks,” Zandberg said.
“Meretz has led the struggle against sexual harassment for decades, and I am happy we became the first party to add sexual harassment prevention guidelines into our bylaws.”
Rozin said she hoped other parties would follow suit.
The bill, which passed with the support of 94% of the council’s members, applies to all Meretz members, not just its elected officials.