LGBT rights in Israel blood following a one-year deferral period. However, no deferral was in place for lesbians or bisexual women. In January 2018, the Health Ministry approved new regulations allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood, regardless of when they last had sex; just like for straight men. Israel's Labor Party and Meretz support LGBT rights, as did the now-defunct Shinui. Under Tzipi Livni, Kadima has reached out to the LGBT community. Other minor liberal or progressive political parties support a similar platform as well, including the Green Party and the Green Leaf Party. Officials from a number of parties, including Yael
Meir Nitzan LeZion in 1983 and was re-elected four times. In November 2008, he lost the municipal elections to Dov Tzur. After his defeat, Nitzan announced that he would run in the Kadima party primaries and vie for a seat in the Knesset in the 2009 elections. However, he later left the party to support Likud as he was unhappy with the behaviour of party leader Tzipi Livni. Kadima claimed Nitzan quit because the party refused to cover his campaign debts. Nitzan served as acting mayor of Lod in 2011-2013. During his tenure, the crime rate dropped, the municipality organized a "sulha",