Former Israeli Judo Coach Oren Samdaja Joins Gilad Erdan’s Unity Party Ahead of Elections

Oren Samdaja, former coach of Israel's national judo team, announced on Wednesday his decision to join the Unity party led by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein for the 26th Knesset elections. Samdaja, who lost his son Omer in combat in the Gaza Strip and previously lit a torch at the Mount Herzl Independence Day ceremony, emphasized the importance of unity over political disputes. He stated that after experiencing both great achievements and profound personal loss, he believes unity is paramount and that everyone must come together as one.

Samdaja explained that although he received multiple political offers, he chose to join Erdan because he trusts his leadership and vision for a responsible right-wing that insists on universal national service as the foundation for internal unity. Gilad Erdan, who revealed the party’s name "Unity" just the day before, welcomed Samdaja, praising him as a representative of Israel’s best values and a respected figure who will strengthen the party’s efforts to form a broad Zionist government.

Erdan highlighted that the party’s name reflects a commitment to collective responsibility and shared purpose, not uniform agreement on all issues. He declared that unity is essential and non-negotiable for their political mission, aiming to mobilize all citizens and secure a genuine right-wing government.