Full Breakdown
Yoaz Hendel Positions the Reservists/Economic Party as Kingmaker in Israel’s 2026 Election
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Strategic Stance Ahead of the October 18, 2026 Vote
The Reservists party, co-led by Yoaz Hendel, announced that it will seek to become the decisive bloc in the upcoming general election scheduled for October 18, 2026. He said the party will join a coalition of Zionist parties but will not sit with ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties, and will not rule out a government that includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Background & Context: Post-October 7 Political Landscape
Hendel linked his party’s agenda to the fallout from the October 7 attacks, stating he holds Netanyahu “responsible for October 7” while also asserting that the prime minister is not the central issue for his party. The party’s platform blends support for settlement expansion with opposition to draft evasion, and it seeks to attract voters across the right-center-left spectrum who reject cooperation with Arab parties that have not recognized Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Official Statements & Responses: Coalition Conditions
Hendel outlined three non-negotiable conditions for any coalition: (1) exclusion of Haredi parties, (2) a commitment to conscription reforms, and an economic agenda aligned with Yaron Zelekha of the New Economic Party. Hendel also called for curriculum reforms that include Zionist studies and Israeli flags in publicly funded schools, proposing that families opposed to this framework fund their own children’s education.
Data & Statistics: Electoral Influence Claims
He argues that each vote for the Reservists/Economic Party prevents “stuck” outcomes produced by the two larger blocs, and that reducing annual reserve service to 30 days remains a “pipe dream” given the eight-month training cycle for infantry soldiers.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We may not be the biggest party, but we will be the most important, because we are in nobody’s pocket,” — Yoaz Hendel, reservists party chairman
- “I won’t sit with the haredi parties. If Likud can’t part ways with them, I won’t sit with Likud,” — Yoaz Hendel, reservists party chairman
- “There is no chance of recruiting soldiers when you’re with Goldknopf and Goldknopf is your partner.” — Yoaz Hendel, reservists party chairman