Five New Parties Raise NIS 68 Million in Election Guarantees

Five new parties competing in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections have collectively raised NIS 67.8 million in financial guarantees, significantly increasing their fundraising efforts in the final stretch of the campaign. These parties include Yishar, led by Gadi Eisenkot; Amcha Israel, led by Ofer Winter; the Democrats, led by Yair Golan; the Haredi Public, led by Moti Leitner; and the Reservists, led by Yoaz Hendel.

In recent days, Eisenkot's and Winter's parties alone secured an additional NIS 8.3 million in guarantees. Yishar leads the fundraising with NIS 38.548 million from 57 guarantees, including NIS 5.2 million in the last five days from donors like Alfred Akirov (NIS 1 million), Tomer Bar-Zeev (NIS 1.5 million), Natan Hach (NIS 900,000), and Kalman Shaham (NIS 180,000). The party also received NIS 2.343 million in 373 donations, bringing its total to approximately NIS 41 million. Recent polls suggest Yishar could become the largest party in the next Knesset.

Amcha Israel has raised NIS 11.470 million through 14 guarantees, enabling it to take out nine loans totaling NIS 8.538 million. In the past ten days, amid pressure on Winter to withdraw, the party garnered an additional NIS 3.1 million from four guarantees. Notable contributors include Bari Klein (NIS 1 million), Eli Weiss (NIS 1 million), Jay Foreman (an additional NIS 750,000), and Yitzhak Weider (NIS 350,000). Polls are divided on whether Amcha Israel will pass the electoral threshold.

The Democrats, running with the Labor party, secured NIS 8.4 million from 47 guarantees and NIS 5.688 million from 3,617 donations. Prominent guarantors include Anat Har-El (NIS 2 million), Doris Arkin (NIS 500,000), and Adam Fischer (NIS 200,000), who also provided a NIS 1 million guarantee to Yishar. Other guarantors include Ami Federman, Orni Petruschka, Tamar, Liora, Guy Propper, Dov Moran, and Mordechai Ben-Shach.

The Haredi Public has raised NIS 5.6 million from 16 guarantees, including NIS 2 million from high-tech entrepreneur Shlomo Dovrat, and an additional NIS 1.025 million from five guarantees in the past week, plus NIS 130,000 in 15 donations. The party has not taken loans and is not currently projected to pass the electoral threshold.

The Reservists party has raised NIS 3.812 million from 14 guarantees, with NIS 1.8 million secured in the last three weeks, along with NIS 256,000 from 47 donations. This party is running in a joint list with the New Economic Party, which has not raised funds. Polls indicate this joint list may pass the threshold, but if not, it will still be eligible for NIS 1.835 million in election funding if it receives at least 1% of the vote.

Separately, the Knesset's accountant has demanded that Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue and White party, return NIS 11.7 million in election funding. This follows his announcement that he will not run in the 26th Knesset elections, making the party liable for the repayment of advance funding it received.