People of Israel Party Submits Slate Ahead of October 2026 Election

Brig-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, chairman of the newly formed People of Israel party, filed the party’s first 18-candidate list with the Central Elections Committee by the September 7, 2026 deadline. The slate places Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad in the second slot, followed by journalist Netali Shem Tom, Eran Ben-Ari, and former Jerusalem deputy mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum. Winter’s decision to run independently closed the door on a proposed merger with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party (RZP), a move that also ran counter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for right-wing parties to unite ahead of the October 2026 elections. Recent polls estimate the party will hover near the electoral threshold, likely securing four or five seats, which would make the top four candidates the most probable Knesset entrants.

The Jerusalem Post

The People of Israel party was launched only two weeks before the filing deadline and markets itself as a “new spirit” that represents the full spectrum of Israeli society while advocating “true right-wing and military decisiveness.” It emphasizes bringing forward individuals who were not part of the political or security failures surrounding the October 2023 Hamas attacks. The party also pledges to push for ultra-Orthodox (haredi) enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces without using the issue as a political pawn.

The Jerusalem Post

The RZP issued a statement calling Winter’s solo run an “irresponsible gamble” and indicated it would consider adding new figures to its own slate. The People of Israel party rebuffed the criticism, rejecting any intimidation and asserting that the public demands leaders untainted by the events of October 2023.

The Jerusalem Post

• “The People of Israel party was launched only two weeks ago and has already become a significant player on the political map,” — Ofer Winter — Ofer Winter, People of Israel party chairman.

The Jerusalem Post