Yosef Hadad Holds First Activist Meeting Ahead of Political Entry
Yosef Hadad, a prominent public relations activist, held his first activist meeting on Monday as he prepares to enter Israeli politics. After considering offers from existing parties and discussions about a reserved spot in Likud, Hadad is building grassroots support and plans to announce his political move soon. He has developed a network of about 3,000 young activists across Israel from various sectors, which he intends to leverage for his campaign. Hadad is weighing whether to join an existing party or run independently.
During the meeting, Hadad proposed setting up persuasion booths and campaign offices at train stations nationwide and at Ben Gurion Airport to mobilize potential voters, including those arriving in Israel before the elections. His name has surfaced in talks with several parties, including Likud, where consultations continue about a realistic reserved seat, recognizing his potential to attract young voters, a demographic currently lacking in Likud.
Separately, former ministers Hili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel announced a joint run in the upcoming elections, aiming to form a broad Zionist government and explicitly rejecting participation in a Netanyahu-led coalition. They were joined by Shira Shapira, mother of fallen soldier Enar Shapira, and Alisaf Peretz, son of Israel Prize laureate Miriam Peretz, among other notable figures. Meanwhile, former Likud MK Yuli Edelstein and ex-minister Ayelet Shaked are in advanced talks to form a new party targeting right-wing nationalists and religious Zionists who feel politically homeless.
Edelstein and Shaked are also attempting to recruit prominent political figures like former UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, though he has yet to decide on joining. Their party faces competition from a potential alliance between Benny Gantz and Dedi Simchi, which shares similar goals of forming a government without Arab or ultra-Orthodox parties. Edelstein and Shaked are considering strategies either to complete a 61-seat coalition with the "change bloc" or to push for a broad unity government, though they see little chance of excluding Netanyahu from ultra-Orthodox support. Official announcements regarding their party formation are expected within two weeks.
Hadad’s political emergence and these new alliances reflect ongoing realignments in Israeli politics ahead of the elections, with multiple new parties and coalitions seeking to capture shifting voter bases and redefine the government formation landscape.
