Israel Election 2026: What are you voting for when you choose a party hovering at the threshold?

In addition to Israel’s established political parties, several newly formed smaller parties are also vying for citizens’ votes in the elections for the 26th Knesset, which will be held on October 27.

These parties, including Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter's People of Israel; Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha’s The Reservists-Economic Party; Moti Leitner’s Haredi Public Party; and Sharren Haskel’s Israel First are also among the parties whose fate could be determined by a matter of a few thousand votes.

Winter's People of Israel party is seeking to pull right-wing voters away from established parties while backing Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. Israel First is also a right-wing party, but calls for building a broad Zionist government that does not depend on either the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) or Arab parties, regardless of who is prime minister.

The Haredi Public Party is attempting something different: to challenge the established haredi parties - Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) - from within the ultra-Orthodox community, particularly over military service and education.

And following a split in a previous alliance that occurred only days before the deadline for submitting party lists, Hendel’s The Reservists has merged with Zelekha’s Economic Party.

All four are therefore entering an election in which crossing the electoral threshold could mean entering the Knesset – and falling short could mean receiving no representation at all and result in votes cast for them going to waste.

People of Israel: Ofer Winter's new right-wing force

Founded in August 2026, Winter’s People of Israel has positioned itself firmly on the Right.

Winter has said that his party is part of the right-wing camp and that he will recommend only Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister.

The party's list includes Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad in second place, alongside figures from the military, agriculture and other sectors. It calls for bringing in new faces to the Knesset who were not part of the political or security failures surrounding October 7.

Winter ultimately submitted the party's list independently rather than merging with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism Party, which called for an alliance.

That decision has made the party particularly relevant to the right-wing electoral map. Likud officials had previously expressed concern that Winter could draw votes from established right-wing parties and potentially leave votes below the electoral threshold.

Winter has also made haredi enlistment a central issue. He has said his party would not join a government unless a conscription law is passed before the government is sworn in. He has rejected calls for a blanket exemption for yeshiva students.

On Gaza, Winter has called for voluntary emigration rather than continued containment, saying that "there will be a decision here, not containment."

The party's platform is therefore built around a combination of right-wing security policy, military service and a challenge to the current political establishment, while remaining explicitly within Netanyahu's political camp.

Haredi Public Party: A challenge from inside the ultra-Orthodox community

While Winter is trying to build a new force on the right, Leitner's Haredi Public Party is trying to build a new force within the haredi community itself.

The party was launched in July with the stated goal of addressing what it describes as a disconnect between the haredi public and its existing political leadership. It had also sought representation on the Knesset lists of Shas and United Torah Judaism.

Leitner, the deputy mayor of Beit Shemesh, has differentiated his party most clearly from Shas and UTJ over the matter of military service.

While he said some haredi men who study Torah full-time should continue doing so, Leitner argued that the majority of haredi men should serve in the military or national service.

"It’s a Jewish, moral, conscientious, national obligation," he told The Jerusalem Post in an interview after establishing the party.

The party also supports enforcing that core-curriculum studies, such as Math and English, be taught in haredi schools. Leitner has additionally spoken about improving support for immigrants entering the haredi community.

In September, the party announced that Dr. Nechumi Yaffe would join its Knesset list, making her the first woman to run for the Knesset with a haredi party.

Unlike Winter, Haskel or Hendel, however, Leitner's party is not primarily trying to redraw the broader Israeli political map. Its challenge is more specific: whether haredi voters support an alternative to the established ultra-Orthodox parties.

Israel First: Sharren Haskel's right-wing alternative

Sharren Haskel launched Israel First in July after resigning as deputy foreign minister over contentious legislation passed by Netanyahu's coaltion concerning haredi draft evasion.

Like Winter, Haskel describes her party as right-wing and supports a hard security policy. But she has deliberately avoided tying the party's future solely to Netanyahu.

Haskel has proposed a broad Zionist government that could include parties currently sitting on opposite sides of the political divide, while excluding dependence on haredi or Arab parties.

She has said that she is not automatically opposed to sitting with far-right figures such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir or Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying she agrees with some of their policies and disagrees with others. 

“I want to build a bloc of six mandates that will not allow Netanyahu to build a bloc with the ultra-Orthodox and will not allow [Yashar party leader Gadi] Eisenkot to build a bloc with the Arabs,” she told the Post in an interview after establishing the party.

“I’m not in the pocket of either of them, and I’m going to force both of them at the end of the day to sit together. And yes, it is most likely that Netanyahu will get most of the mandates.”

Haskel has called for "real solutions that will recruit the ultra-Orthodox," and stated that she refuses any legislation that could enable haredi draft evasion.

She has also called for reducing bureaucracy and regulations and directing government spending toward Israelis who work, serve and pay taxes.

Israel First therefore occupies a position seen in many of the small parties: it describes itself as right-wing and is against some of the legislation passed during the government's term, but it still calls for a broad Zionist government and does not rule Netanyahu out.

In August, Jonathan Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence analyst who was jailed for spying for Israel, joined the party. Pollard has advocated positions including annexing Gaza and resettling it with Israelis.

The Reservists-Economic Party: Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha's merger after split from Zionist Home

Hendel's party in this group has undergone the most recent change.

Hendel and ex-minister Chili Tropper initially launched Zionist Home-The Reservists together in July, presenting themselves as a new Zionist political force that could potentially sit between the major blocs.

But on September 6, the two announced that they would pursue separate political paths. Tropper subsequently joined Eisenkot's Yashar party, while Hendel announced a joint run with economist Yaron Zelekha.

The new Hendel-Zelekha slate combines Hendel's emphasis on Zionism, security and military service with Zelekha's economic background.

The two have agreed on two major principles: they will join only a Zionist government, and they will demand that a universal conscription law be passed before a government is formed.

That makes the party's position on the haredi draft one of its clearest policy distinctions.

It also means that voters considering this party are no longer voting for the same political framework that Tropper and Hendel presented in July.

Where the four parties stand on the major issues

Regarding Gaza, Winter has called for voluntary emigration from Gaza and an end to what he describes as containment. Haskel has said Hamas must be destroyed and disarmed before Israel moves to a second stage, while explicitly rejecting Jonathan Pollard's proposal for annexing and resettling Gaza as party policy. No detailed Gaza policy has been reported from the Haredi Public Party or Hendel-Zelekha slate - though Hendel holds a strong right-wing security stance.

However, the clearest common thread among the parties is the issue of the haredi draft.

The four parties all distinguish themselves from parties that support a blanket exemption for haredim, although they approach the issue from different political directions.

Winter has made haredi enlistment a central demand and said his party will not join a government without a conscription law, as have Hendel and Zelekha. Leitner supports military or national service for the majority of haredi men, and Haskel supports universal haredi enlistment and opposes exemption legislation.

What is a vote for one of these parties likely to produce?

The answer depends first on whether the party crosses the electoral threshold.

That question has become particularly relevant as the polling picture has shifted from survey to survey.

In a September 7-8 Maariv poll, People of Israel fell to 2.8% and did not cross the threshold, while Hendel-Zelekha crossed with four seats.

Just days later, a Maariv poll showed the reverse: People of Israel crossed with four seats, while Hendel-Zelekha fell to 3%, with the Haredi Public Party and Israel First failing to cross either time.

Additionally, a five-poll roundup published September 10 found that Winter's party crossed the threshold in all five surveys, while Hendel-Zelekha crossed in only one.

The four parties also offer very different coalition possibilities.

With at least two of the parties potentially securing four seats each, these new factions may also find themselves in the role of kingmaker in the upcoming election.

A vote for People of Israel is a vote for a party whose leader has committed to recommending Netanyahu, while conditioning participation in a government on a conscription law.

A vote for the Haredi Public Party is a vote for an attempt to create a new haredi political voice that supports military or national service for most haredi men and challenges the established Shas-UTJ model.

A vote for Israel First is a vote for a right-wing party whose leader says she wants to build a broad Zionist government that does not depend on either haredi or Arab parties.

And a vote for Hendel-Zelekha is a vote for a new political framework formed after the breakup of the Tropper-Hendel alliance, with universal conscription and participation in a Zionist government as stated conditions.

For all four, however, the first question is the same: will enough voters put them above the electoral threshold for those positions to translate into Knesset seats?