Former Journalist Netali Shem Tov Takes Full Responsibility for Election Failure

Netali Shem Tov, a former journalist and presenter who joined the Amcha Israel party led by Ofer Vinter, has publicly apologized to supporters following the party's failure to pass the electoral threshold in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. Initial polls had shown the party, which launched with single-digit mandate projections, experiencing a dramatic decline in support in the final days before the election. Other right-wing parties, including Likud, had urged right-wing voters not to support Vinter's party.

In an Instagram post, Shem Tov stated, "When you fail, you take responsibility. I failed and I take full responsibility. A few months ago, I decided to enter politics. For years I have seen illogical distortions, how the country is losing the Negev and Galilee, rewarding the wrong places, discriminating between citizens, forgetting the good people who hold it up, not seeing or hearing them. On October 7th, I understood that everything I shouted about as a social issue turned out to be an existential threat. This is why I came. Unfortunately, I did not succeed."

Despite the disappointing results, Shem Tov expressed her desire to continue working for Israel's stability and security. She wrote, "It will take me time to think about what and how things should have been done differently. One thing is clear to me already since yesterday at ten past ten: I will find a way to serve the only Jewish state in the world that I received from my grandmothers as a deposit, to pass it on to the next generation better. The opposite of Zionism is despair. We deserve better." Shem Tov also thanked the soldiers who fought on October 7th, her party colleagues, professionals, activists, supporters, family, and friends.

Shem Tov also addressed Ofer Vinter, thanking him for his work and their shared effort to bring about significant change in Israeli society. She described him as "a dedicated public servant, a brave leader, a fighter, and a man of truth." Shem Tov concluded by urging the elected politicians to listen to the voters and form a stable government, stating, "There are enough mandates here that want a Jewish and democratic state, enter one room and come out with a government. Israelis deserve this and we need it as a country."

Shem Tov, known for her work as a news anchor and media personality on Channel 2 and Channel 13, joined Vinter's party in May 2023, running third on the list.