Hendel Admits Election Loss, Warns Israel Is Lost

Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reservists and Economics Party, announced his concession of defeat in the recent elections even before the final ballots were counted. Hendel stated he took responsibility for leading the party, which he founded to unite "Zionist forces" and serve as a "third bloc" in the political landscape. He explained his motivation was a "complete understanding that the State of Israel will disintegrate" if these forces were not consolidated. Hendel criticized both sides of the political spectrum, accusing one of cooperating with Haredi parties that "see us as a rule of infidels and encourage draft evasion," and the other of relying on Arab parties that "cannot even recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization." He emphasized that universal conscription, including national service for Arab Israelis, is a key objective to strengthen the military and win the war, framing his strategy as preventing disintegration and tribalism.

Hendel expressed his conviction that "the State of Israel has gone astray," citing October 7th as proof. He called for a return to state education for all, universal service, and sovereignty in the Negev, Galilee, and even Haredi areas. He believes the only way to reset the systems is through a "Zionist government" that unites these forces, but lamented that this does not currently appear likely. As of the report, Hendel's party was still far from the electoral threshold, needing approximately 50,000 more votes to pass. The overall bloc configuration remained unchanged, with the only notable shift being Ra'am gaining one seat from the Joint List among Arab parties.