Israeli Entrepreneur Oren Dobronski Joins Likud List Despite Controversial Tech Past

Oren Dobronski, 53, a businessman known for his work in Silicon Valley and a star of the Israeli TV show "The Sharks," was recently secured by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Likud party list in the upcoming Knesset elections. Dobronski is recognized internationally for founding Hotbar, a customizable browser toolbar that gained massive popularity in the early 2000s, at one point installed on a quarter of the world’s computers. Despite its success, Hotbar faced heavy criticism for tracking user browsing habits, displaying intrusive ads, altering search engines, and being difficult to uninstall. Major antivirus companies like McAfee and Symantec labeled it as adware, leading to legal battles that Dobronski’s company ultimately lost.

Dobronski began his entrepreneurial career after serving six years in the IDF’s Mamram computer unit, initially launching Israel’s first internet bulletin board, which failed commercially. He later co-founded Hotbar with Gabi Karni, which offered users themes, animated icons, and integrated search and weather updates. In 2000, Dobronski moved the company headquarters to Manhattan and relocated to the U.S. Hotbar was sold in 2006 for approximately $50 million. He then founded other ventures including Infolinks, an online advertising network, and SmartShopper, a price comparison site.

In 2008, Dobronski moved to Silicon Valley and opened "Oren’s Hummus" in Palo Alto, which quickly became popular, expanding to six branches. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly knows him as "the hummus guy," unaware of his tech background. Dobronski also co-founded other tech startups like OwnerListens and Crossrider. Since 2018, he has been part of the cast of "The Sharks." His appointment to the Likud list marks a notable political acquisition amid his controversial tech legacy.

Journalist Revital Salomon, former editor at TheMarker, recalled her experience labeling Hotbar as adware and receiving legal threats, describing it as one of the worst software nuisances of the 2000s. Dobronski has defended Hotbar, claiming it was a fair adware and easy to uninstall using standard Windows procedures. His political role and tech past highlight a complex figure bridging Israeli high-tech entrepreneurship and politics.