Green Leaf Party Joins Sharren Haskel's Israel First Party for Elections
The Green Leaf party announced its merger with the Israel First party on Thursday evening, ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. The announcement was made by Israel First chairwoman, MK Sharren Haskel, and Green Leaf chairman Nir Yofet, at a central launch event in Tel Aviv.
The union aims to combine Israel First's security and economic worldview with Green Leaf's liberal agenda, focusing on cannabis legalization, individual freedoms, and the rights of medical cannabis patients. For Haskel, this move represents a full circle, as her connection with Green Leaf began years ago when she was a Member of Knesset for the New Hope party.
In 2021, then-New Hope chairman Gideon Sa'ar, along with Green Leaf and the Legalize movement, signed a commitment to fully regulate the cannabis market in Israel. Sa'ar's "Green Hope" plan included a pledge to advance a decriminalization law within 100 days of government formation and full market regulation within a year. The plan also addressed medical cannabis reform and fostering an Israeli cannabis industry for export. At the time, Green Leaf clarified that signing the commitment did not constitute exclusive support for New Hope, but rather an opportunity for any party leader to represent cannabis consumers.
Haskel herself was identified with the cannabis policy reform movement then, even submitting a bill to abolish the penalizing of individuals possessing or using cannabis for personal consumption. Now, five years later, this connection is formalized into a joint political run. The unified list plans to advance cannabis legalization, significant medical cannabis reform, and the removal of bureaucratic barriers for patients. Additionally, the party intends to promote innovative research and treatments for post-traumatic stress and mental health, given the large number of soldiers and civilians affected by war.
Haskel stated the merger is a "natural connection and full circle," noting her years of fighting for legalization and individual freedoms, with Green Leaf leading the charge long before the political system was receptive. Yofet added that the merger transforms Green Leaf's long-standing struggle into political action, stating, "We are not asking for favors from the system anymore, we are entering to change it."
