Reclaiming Democracy: Lessons from No Kings and Israel’s Streets
- rotemaoreg
- Oct 28
- 6 min read
(by Adv. Ido Dembin, a board member of LIBRAEL; the opinions expressed are his alone)
The No Kings protest movement in the United States and the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Israel both reflect powerful expressions of broad popular discontent with populist governments in their respective countries.
They are designed and motivated by a desire to defend liberal values, institutions, laws, and norms against perceived threats of authoritarianism, erosion of civil rights, and democratic backsliding.
These movements reveal striking parallels as well as important differences, and each offers insights into the evolving global struggle for democratic renewal.
In both countries, the opposition remains scattered, ideologically diverse, and fragmented. In Israel, the opposition is divided between anti-Netanyahu right-wingers, centrists, and left-wingers, with each offering a starkly different vision.
The Power of the Masses
Both movements are remarkable for their size and resilience, demonstrating crucial civic awakening. While in Israel, the protest movement expanded after October 7, with up to 400,000 people gathering weekly and hundreds of thousands joining nationwide strikes, organizers in the US built vast coalitions, rallying over seven million participants in national days of action. Protests in both countries also involve wide-ranging coalitions, including trade unions, civil rights organizations, and grassroots activists, all empowered by social media and unified by the aspiration to sustain democratic norms under perceived threat.
The Israeli pro-democracy movement has been active in various forms since at least 2019, building significant momentum following during 2023. Its persistence underscores deep-rooted democratic anxieties and a highly mobilized civil society. By contrast, the No Kings protests are a more recent phenomenon, first erupting prominently in mid-2025 as a response to President Trump’s policies, and escalating in scale, yet their leadership and structure remain emergent, underscoring the fledgling, experimental nature of this broad coalition.
In both the US and Israel, the current governments widely considered as populist, far-right, and of authoritarian inclinations - while in both countries, the opposition remains scattered, ideologically diverse, and fragmented. In Israel, the opposition is divided between anti-Netanyahu right-wingers (most notably, the former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet), centrists, and left-wingers, with each offering a starkly different vision – and all consolidating mostly around the narrow vision of ousting Netanyahu and his far-right, illiberal government.
The resilience of these movements - despite fragmentation, controversy, and the limits of protest - shows that ordinary citizens remain democracy’s last line of defense.
Ideological, Not Partisan
In the US, the “No Kings” protests represent a new phenomenon with no clearly dominant leadership yet, although progressive groups lead the coalition of over 200 organizations alongside centrists. Notably, both protests lack overt backing by clearly partisan organizations. Israeli protests comprise grassroots coalitions cutting across traditional party lines. Likewise, the No Kings movement, while supported by a coalition that includes progressive groups and unions, does not represent a single party or formal political force.
This lack of partisan control is not necessarily a bad thing: it allows for a broad-based civic coalition; however, it also contributes to the diffusion of leadership and strategy, complicating the path to concrete political outcomes. That said, politicians such as Yair Lapid (Head of the Israeli parliamentary Opposition) and Yair Golan (who fought on October 7 and now heads the Democrats party) have participated and spoken at various rallies in Israel – and in the US, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom play leading roles in mobilizing opposition to Trump’s moves in their own states, and politicians such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez carry the progressive banner.
Moreover, both movements have mobilized millions who see their governments as undermining essential democratic principles: In Israel, protesters rally weekly to oppose government overreach, advocate for judicial independence and maintaining the separation of powers, and until recently demand both a hostage deal and an end to the Gaza war, all while affirming the country's founding values of equality and the rule of law. In the US, No Kings protesters accuse President Trump of acting more like a monarch than an elected official, staging huge, peaceful demonstrations in hundreds of cities to vocalize a desire for accountable government and the defense of constitutional rights.
Bridges of Activism
Despite different political landscapes and points of contention (Trump’s policies and rhetoric in the US versus Israel’s opposition to judicial reform and calls for peace), both movements inspire and draw lessons from each other. Pro-democracy forces in Israel watch the US closely, understanding that American democratic stability influences international attitudes and lends moral support to resistance movements worldwide.
Both movements also resonate internationally: “No Kings” protests spilled into twenty foreign countries, and the successes of Israel’s pro-democracy campaign are documented and exhibited worldwide by activist collectives, highlighting the interconnectedness of contemporary struggles for freedom and pluralism.
Both movements also strategically employ powerful symbolism to underscore their democratic commitments: Israeli protesters have prominently displayed the Declaration of Independence (as Israel has no written constitution) in mass demonstrations, focusing on its commitment to ensuring “full social and political equality to all its citizens, regardless of religion, race, and sex”. American protesters have paraded with replicas of the Constitution, including huge banners of the U.S. Constitution. These displays emphasize that the struggle is about reclaiming a vision of democracy rooted in foundational texts, rather than merely opposing current administrations.
Israeli protesters have prominently displayed the Declaration of Independence in mass demonstrations... ensuring “full social and political equality to all its citizens, regardless of religion, race, and sex”. American protesters have paraded with replicas of the Constitution.
The Looming Shadow of the War
A significant complication in the No Kings protests is the presence of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli elements, which, while distinct from the core anti-Trump cause, have found space within the broad coalition. This overlap arises partly because many progressive organizations and activists in the US integrate international human rights concerns, including support for Palestinian rights, with their domestic democratic activism – and because the Palestinian agenda has taken hold within the progressive camp not only in and of itself but as a symbol of political alignment. President Trump’s vocal support for Israel and his close personal alliance with Prime Minister Netanyahu definitely add to that.
However, for now, these views remain a minority within the overall No Kings coalition. This, in turn, can potentially allow stronger cross-Atlantic cooperation with Israeli pro-democracy forces, which seek to maintain a focus on Israeli democratic reforms rather than conflating the protests with the broader, more contentious Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A Future for Democracy
Both protests reveal democratic societies confronting far-right rule with innovative, grassroots mobilization anchored in a foundational commitment to democracy. Both movements confront fragmented oppositions and overlapping controversies, yet their growing momentum offers a hopeful, if complex, blueprint for renewal.
For both, the journey ahead will demand transforming popular will into cohesive political power while navigating both internal divisions and cross-national solidarity challenges. The resilience and creativity of these movements will be pivotal in shaping the future of democracy across the Atlantic and beyond. The resilience of these movements - despite fragmentation, controversy, and the limits of protest - shows that ordinary citizens remain democracy’s last line of defense.
Now is the time for those who believe in democratic renewal, on both sides of the Atlantic, to reach across borders, learn from one another’s strategies, and insist that foundational ideals cannot be abandoned to authoritarianism. By joining voices and strengthening ties, advocates for liberty and equality in the US, Israel, and beyond can help usher in a new era where the promise of democracy is not only defended but also reimagined and revitalized for a new generation.
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Adv. Ido Dembin is an Israeli political activist. He is the former Executive Director of Molad, an Israeli liberal Zionist think tank. He is also known as a commentator and public intellectual, frequently writing and speaking about Israeli and American politics. Dembin’s work focuses on defending democracy in Israel, analyzing the country’s political shifts, and advocating for civil rights, alongside contemporary commentary on American politics, policy, and society. He has played a significant role in interpreting the Israeli protest movements against judicial reform and in promoting liberal democratic values within Israeli public discourse.
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