 Meretz won three seats in the elections, making Horowitz the second openly gay Knesset member in Israeli history, and the only openly gay member of the eighteenth Knesset.The first, Uzi Even, also was a member of Meretz.On 16 February 2009, he announced a plan to bring to the Knesset a bill that would allow marriages or civil unions between two partners, regardless of their religion, ethnic background, or gender.