Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha to Run Together in Upcoming Elections

Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the reservists' organization, announced Sunday that he will run in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections alongside Professor Yaron Zelekha, chairman of the Economic Party. This joint run comes just hours after Hendel and Chili Tropper announced the dissolution of their own joint political venture, "Zionist Home - Reservists." The two stated that their personal decisions were made in light of the complex political reality, while emphasizing their continued ideological partnership and friendship.

Tropper is reportedly heading towards a merger with Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar!" party. Hendel's announcement followed earlier discussions with Benny Gantz and Ayelet Shaked regarding potential political alliances. He ultimately chose to align with Zelekha, whose party had been running independently.

The new alliance was formed days before the deadline for party list submissions, as numerous smaller parties attempt to consolidate to avoid losing votes below the electoral threshold. Hendel and Tropper's joint list had previously polled at four seats in July but later fell below the 2.9% threshold in a subsequent poll. Zelekha's Economic Party also remained below the threshold, with their combined votes representing approximately ten seats if consolidated.

Hendel and Tropper had initially announced their joint run in July with the aim of forming a party appealing to reservists and centrist-right voters, positioning themselves as a potential "Zionist majority" bloc. However, fluctuating poll numbers and concerns about crossing the electoral threshold led to the partnership's collapse. Hendel's new alliance with Zelekha is an attempt to rebuild the list and overcome these challenges.