Israeli Politics Shift: Tropper Joins Eizenkot, Hendel Forms Alliance with Zelekha

Yohai Yoel Tropper, head of the "Zionist House" party, has officially joined Benny Gantz's "National Unity" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, to run together in the upcoming Israeli elections. This move effectively dissolves the "Zionist House" party, which Tropper and Yoaz Hendel had founded just two months prior.

In parallel, Yoaz Hendel, Tropper's former political partner and leader of the "Reservists" party, has formed a new alliance with economist Professor Yaron Zelekha. They announced their intention to run together, emphasizing core principles such as participating only in a "Zionist government" and demanding the passage of a mandatory conscription law for all Israelis before government formation.

Meanwhile, former Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked has officially declared she will not be running in the upcoming elections. Reports suggest Tropper will take the sixth spot on Eisenkot's list, with Shira Shapira securing the tenth.

Hendel's decision to align with Zelekha comes after a reported falling out with Eisenkot. Eisenkot had allegedly refused to include Hendel in his list, citing a lack of trust and concerns that Hendel might later split off to form an independent parliamentary bloc. Hendel had reportedly insisted on a technical alliance and bloc status, which would have allowed for future separation.

The new alignment between Tropper and Eisenkot reportedly diminishes the likelihood of a potential electoral alliance between Eisenkot and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which had been considered a possibility for uniting forces against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.