Full Breakdown
Yashar Party Unveils Final Candidate List Ahead of Oct. 27 Election
9/10/2026, 12:27:22 AM
Core Event: Final Slate Submitted
On the day before the legal deadline, former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot submitted Yashar’s 40-candidate slate to the Central Elections Committee. The list, one of the longest in recent elections, blends veteran security figures, educators and community leaders. With the deadline set for October 27, the party positions itself as the leading opposition force seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud government.
Background & Context
Yashar emerged from Eisenkot’s security-focused reputation. The platform stresses confronting Iran and its regional proxies, strengthening defense, and revamping education. Eisenkot has framed the current government as “divisive” and warned that Israel’s security is at risk. The party’s rise follows political fragmentation after the October 7 Hamas attack.
Key Figures & Groups
- Gadi Eisenkot – party leader, former IDF chief of staff.
- Yoram Cohen – number 2, former head of the Shin Bet.
- Dvora Sharifian Bachar – number 14, former Mossad and Shin Bet operative.
- Chili Tropper – number 6, former Zionist Home chair.
- Adi Altschuler – Israel-Prize-winning educator, candidate for education minister.
- Shira Shapira – number 10, architect and mother of an October 7 victim.
- Kamil Abu Rokan – number 13, retired IDF Aluf and former head of COGAT.
Timeline
- August 3, 2026 – Portrait of Dvora Sharifian Bachar published.
- September 8, 2026 – Midgam poll for Channel 12 released, showing Yashar ahead of Likud.
- October 27 – Deadline for submitting party lists and the scheduled date of the general election.
Data & Statistics
- Midgam poll (Sept 8) projects Yashar with 25 seats versus Likud’s 21 in the 120-member Knesset.
- Earlier Jerusalem Post polling estimated around 23 seats for Yashar.
- The slate includes ? 50 % women and features 40 candidates spanning security, education and minority representation.
- The projected seat count would make Yashar the largest single party, giving the opposition bloc 68 seats (57 Jewish, 11 Arab).
Why It Matters / Impact
If Yashar leads a coalition, Israel could shift toward a security-centric agenda focused on Iran and its proxies. The inclusion of education leaders links national security with societal resilience, and the party’s appeal to Druze and peripheral voters may alter traditional patterns that have favored Likud.
Official Statements & Responses
Eisenkot pledged a commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures. Altschuler described the moment as “historic” and committed to building a “united society” through education. Bachar emphasized that Iran was the focus of her two-decade intelligence career and that Israel must “win against Iran.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Two sources provide differing seat projections: the Midgam poll forecasts 25 seats, while the Jerusalem Post cites “recent polls” estimating around 23 seats. No additional data reconcile this discrepancy, and the impact on coalition calculations remains unclear.
What’s Next
Israel’s general election is scheduled for October 27. Should Yashar secure a plurality, it will seek a coalition that meets the 61-seat threshold. Eisenkot has indicated a post-election government would prioritize a commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks and a renewed security strategy focused on Iran.
