Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad enters politics with new party ahead of elections

Haddad has held talks with potential political partners, including Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, a controversial figure on the Right, as he weighs his options.

Arab Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad registered a new political party ahead of the upcoming elections and has been holding talks with various figures about joining his slate, Haddad’s office confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

Haddad is a vocal supporter of Israel, advocating consistently for the country on news outlets and social media. He has also gone on numerous international speaking tours.

Haddad’s spokesperson said that he has been in contact with several political figures about joining the party, including Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, a controversial figure on the Right who has reportedly been weighing which political framework to join ahead of the elections.

“Yoseph Haddad hasn’t hidden that he’s considering entering politics and has recently been weighing his options,” his spokesperson told the Post.

“Among other moves, he’s registered a new party with partners who believe in his path.”

“At the same time, he’s been holding discussions and meetings with various figures to examine his possible next steps,” he added.

Haddad has recently returned from an advocacy trip to the US, and “will soon decide how he can best affect positive change for the State of Israel,” his office noted.

Especially after the start of Israel’s war, Haddad’s online platform grew rapidly, and he became a prominent and well-known voice on social networks, often appearing as a guest on TV programs throughout the country.

Haddad was seriously wounded in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, while serving in the IDF.

Together Vouch for Each Other aims to connect Arab and Israeli society

He has also established a nonprofit foundation, Together Vouch for Each Other. It calls to connect Arab society with Israeli society at large and to find solutions to the issues of Arab society.

In February, a Midgam Institute survey was released that showed a party led by Haddad could win four Knesset seats.

The survey found that a party led by Haddad would cross the electoral threshold, outperforming some parties currently represented in the Knesset, including MK Benny Gantz’s Blue and White.

The survey also showed that he would receive support from voters both from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the rivaling opposition bloc, creating the possibility for his potential party to shift the dynamic in the political sphere.

In May, sources close to Haddad told the Post that he was considering partnering with former deputy mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum in a political alliance.

Haddad aims to translate his social media following into real influence

Haddad is aiming to translate his social media support to the general public and into real influence from within the political apparatus in Jerusalem, a source close to Haddad said at the time.

Hassan-Nahoum currently serves as special envoy for trade innovation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In 2024, she became secretary-general of Kol Israel, a faction of the World Zionist Congress.

She led the Yerushalmim party in 2013. From 2018 until 2023, she served as deputy mayor of Jerusalem and was previously a member of the Jerusalem city council.

In 2022, Hassan-Nahoum ran in the Likud primaries ahead of the elections, where she scored 73 on the party’s list and therefore did not make it into the Knesset.