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Middle East Forum Israel Election 2026
Parties / Unaligned

Zionist Home, The Reservists בית ציוני - המילואימניקים

MEF poll average, seats
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Seats in every 2026 poll; line is a five-poll rolling mean; dotted line = threshold
Leader
Former leader Hili (Chili) Tropper, now No. 6 on the Yashar list. The party did not file a list; Yoaz Hendel filed separately with Yaron Zelekha's Economic Party. [source, August 11, 2026]
Bloc
Unaligned
Founded
July 7, 2026, when Hendel's Reservists party joined with Tropper and bereaved family members Shira Shapira and Elyasaf Peretz; initially reported under the name Yesodot Yisrael (Times of Israel, https://www.timesofisrael.com/yoaz-hendels-reservists-teams-...). The Reservists party was founded by Hendel in 2025 (Maariv, https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/article-1224189; IDI, https://en.idi.org.il/israeli-elections-and-parties/parties/...).
Seats, 25th Knesset
0
Status 2026
Did not file a list. Chair Hili Tropper ended the alliance with Yoaz Hendel's Reservists on 2026-09-06 and merged Zionist Home into Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar, taking the No. 6 slot; Shira Shapira and Elyasaf Peretz also moved to the Yashar list. Hendel filed separately with Yaron Zelekha's Economic Party (Times of Israel, https://www.timesofisrael.com/ditching-hendel-zionist-home-c..., 2026-09-06; JNS, https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/mk-tropper-folds-zionis..., 2026-09-07).
List Status
No list filed: party merged into Yashar on 2026-09-06. See the Yashar page for Tropper, Shapira and Peretz. The Reservists filed with the Economic Party (see that page).
MEF Poll Average
(below threshold in most polls); range to across 0 polls in the window

Background

Yoaz Hendel founded The Reservists in 2025 to represent reserve soldiers and oppose Haredi exemptions; he was elected its head on June 9, 2026 and the party held primaries a week later (Ynet, https://www.ynetnews.com/article/emfk75eso; JPost, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-899614). It polled below the threshold and held merger talks with Gantz and Simchi that stalled over Haredi coalition partners (Times of Israel, https://www.timesofisrael.com/potential-gantz-hendel-simhi-a...). Tropper left Blue and White in May 2026 and began collecting signatures to register a party in June (Israel National News, https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/428183). The two announced a joint list on July 7, 2026 with Tropper first and Hendel second, alternating picks thereafter (Times of Israel). They launched the platform, called the Star of David Plan, on August 5, 2026 in Jerusalem, demanding the National Security Ministry for Hendel and conditioning coalition entry on a conscription law and a Zionist government (JPost, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/art...).

Knesset List

No list filed: party merged into Yashar on 2026-09-06. See the Yashar page for Tropper, Shapira and Peretz. The Reservists filed with the Economic Party (see that page).

Platform and Positions

Haredi draftPlatform, 'The Serving Citizen': 'We will form a broad Zionist government that will include only parties supporting an equal and enforceable conscription law. Every Israeli citizen will bear a duty of military or national service, in tracks adapted to different populations.' Evaders lose public benefits; those who serve get priority in housing, day care, education and state tenders. [source, September 3, 2026]
judiciaryPlatform, 'Checks and Balances': the party will 'join only a government that commits to a balanced and agreed legal programme, at whose centre is legislation of Basic Law: Legislation', preserving separation of powers and a Jewish and democratic state. [source, September 3, 2026]
securityPlatform, 'Governance': treat shooting incidents, illegal weapons and agricultural crime as terror events; a prime-minister-led cabinet and national projector against crime; multi-year police strengthening; legal protection for police professional independence with a clear line between the political and operational levels. The party demands the National Security Ministry for Hendel. [source, September 3, 2026]
otherPlatform, 'Settlement': 'Settlement is part of Israel's national security'; within 90 days a plan for Kiryat Shmona, the Galilee panhandle, the Gaza envelope, the Negev and eastern border communities; strengthen settlement in the Negev, Galilee, Jordan Valley and Area C. Hendel to JPost: 'We will not allow a Palestinian state to be established.' [source, August 11, 2026]
economyPlatform, 'Cost of Living': break up food monopolies, remove import barriers, adopt international standards, cut car theft to lower insurance premiums, decentralise land marketing, cancel subsidies that 'perpetuate inequality' and incentivise reservists. [source, September 3, 2026]
religion-statePlatform, 'Education': 'The State of Israel will fund only educational institutions that teach core studies and educate for integration in Israeli society'; state-Haredi education to be the default for the Haredi sector. [source, September 3, 2026]
Arab citizensParty position as reported: will not join a coalition with Haredi or Arab parties; Tropper said he would not give Netanyahu 61 seats in a government relying on 'non-Zionist forces'. [source, August 18, 2026]
IranJPost (2026-08-11): 'The party has not yet detailed public positions on many issues, such as foreign affairs or Iran.' No party document located on Iran or Gaza. [source, August 11, 2026]

Recent Moves

What MEF Has Published

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