Israeli Parties Finalize Vote-Sharing Pacts Ahead of 2026 Elections
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Israeli political parties finalized their surplus vote agreements for the 2026 elections by Friday's deadline. The Reservists and Economic party and Amcha Israel failed to reach a deal amidst mutual accusations. Several other parties, including the Likud, Religious Zionism, Shas, and United Torah Judaism, successfully signed agreements. Notably, Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit was left without a pact, and parties opposing Netanyahu also secured their alliances.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli parties submitted surplus vote agreements for the 2026 elections by Friday's deadline.
- The Reservists and Economic party and Amcha Israel failed to reach a surplus vote agreement.
- The Likud and Religious Zionism parties signed a surplus vote agreement.
- Shas and United Torah Judaism, the Haredi parties, also signed a surplus vote agreement.
- Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party was left without a surplus vote agreement.
- Parties opposing Prime Minister Netanyahu also announced their surplus vote pacts.
The deadline for Israeli political parties to sign surplus vote agreements for the 2026 elections passed on Friday, with several parties securing pacts and others left without. These agreements allow parties to transfer votes to each other after the election results are tallied, preventing votes from being wasted. The Central Elections Committee requested that agreements be submitted by noon on Friday.
The Reservists and Economic party, led by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Ze'ev, and the Amcha Israel party, headed by Ofer Winter, were engaged in a last-minute "spin war" but ultimately failed to reach a surplus vote agreement. The Reservists and Economic party claimed Winter's party had approached them for a deal, but Amcha Israel denied this, calling it a "delusional and false spin of old politics." Hendel and Ze'ev stated they would not sign with a party willing to sit with non-Zionist factions or align with the "Netanyahu-Haredi bloc," adding they would only agree if Winter's party committed to a Zionist-only government.
Winter's party retorted, denying any outreach and accusing Hendel and Ze'ev of hypocrisy, citing Hendel's past party switches and his role in a government with Mansour Abbas, and Ze'ev's support for Meretz. They asserted that Hendel and Ze'ev would form another government with Abbas and that a vote for Ze'ev was a vote for Yair Golan, while only voting for Amcha Israel would ensure a right-wing government. They also predicted that Hendel and Ze'ev would not pass the electoral threshold.
Earlier, four parties opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's continued tenure announced their surplus vote agreements. Naftali Bennett's Yahad and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu were the first to announce their pact. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar initially sought a different partner but joined forces with the Democrats and Yair Golan. The Joint List and Ra'am also signed an agreement, pledging a fair campaign and respectful discourse.
In contrast, Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit was left without a surplus vote agreement after the Likud and Religious Zionism parties, led by Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich respectively, signed their own pact, leaving Ben-Gvir with only the option of an agreement with Winter's Amcha Israel or remaining alone.
The Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, led by Arie Deri and Yaakov Asher, were the last to sign. Their agreement emphasized continued cooperation on core issues related to Torah scholars and yeshiva students, following the directives of religious leaders.
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