Israel’s political parties explained: The Reservists and the New Economic Party

(Oct. 19, 2026 / JNS)

Rising living costs and unequal military-service obligations have become the twin priorities of Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, whose parties, Miluimnikim (The Reservists) and the New Economic Party (NEP), are contesting the Oct. 27 election together. The alliance pairs the former communications minister’s campaign for universal service with the former Finance Ministry accountant general’s economic agenda. Together, they seek to establish a broad Zionist government independent of both established political blocs, although their immediate challenge is securing enough votes to enter the Knesset.

The parties

Hendel’s political career has crossed several formations on Israel’s center-right. A former adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, he entered the Knesset with Blue and White in 2019, subsequently formed Derekh Eretz with Zvi Hauser, and joined Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope. He served as communications minister in both the Netanyahu-Gantz and Bennett-Lapid governments. Alongside his political career, he serves as an IDF reserve battalion commander, serving for hundreds of days since Oct. 7, 2023.

Registered in September 2025, his Reservists party grew from a movement campaigning for broader enlistment. Its membership included reservists, their families, wounded soldiers, bereaved families and civilian volunteers. Its founding argument was that those who took responsibility during and after the Oct. 7 attacks should assume a greater role in national leadership.

Zelekha, on the other hand, comes from the world of economic administration. Accountant general from 2003 to 2007, he later established the New Economic Party around competition, tax reform and opposition to the rising cost of living. His independent electoral efforts failed to secure parliamentary representation in 2022 when the party received approximately 0.3% of the total vote.

Their partnership followed the collapse of Hendel’s earlier alliance with former Minister Chili Tropper. Formed in July as Zionist Home–The Reservists, that arrangement ended on Sept. 6, when Tropper moved to Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar. Hendel announced his agreement with Zelekha that same day. The parties would combine their electoral support while retaining separate organizations. “We are both in first place, two heads of two independent parties,” Zelekha said at their joint announcement.

Hendel nevertheless heads the submitted slate, followed by Zelekha. Former Labor MK, author and public-diplomacy advocate Einat Wilf occupies third place, with accountant and Economic Party chief executive Haviv Volibovitz fourth. The list alternates candidates from the two parties. Further down are reserve officer Yoav Adomi, bereaved brother and reservist Shlomi Damari, and Tehila Peretz, whose wartime work involved supporting wounded soldiers and their families.

The platform

The Reservists and the Economic Party both oppose Palestinian statehood, support strengthening Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, and call for a larger, better-equipped military. Zelekha’s party also makes ending anti-Israel incitement in Gaza’s schools a prerequisite for any governing arrangement there and demands similar educational reforms from the Palestinian Authority.

Hendel’s party sets out a more detailed military program, emphasizing proactive operations and expanded domestic weapons production. In Gaza, it advocates Israeli control of the perimeter and Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Sinai, continued military freedom of action and an agency facilitating voluntary emigration of Gazans. It also supports military action to disarm Hezbollah if agreed disarmament arrangements are not implemented in Lebanon.

Both parties favor changes to the judicial system through broad agreement. The Reservists propose separating the attorney general’s advisory and prosecutorial functions, independent judicial oversight, and a Basic Law defining relations among the branches of government. They would also limit prime ministers to eight years or two terms.

Expanding military manpower connects their security agenda to their central domestic demand for broader service obligations. The Reservists would require military or civilian service from age 18 for all Israelis, including haredi and Arab citizens, with frameworks accommodating religious practices. The Economic Party likewise demands haredi enlistment, while allowing exemptions for up to 2,000 exceptional yeshivah scholars selected through examinations.

Both support withdrawing benefits from those refusing service. “Anyone who chooses not to serve in the State of Israel gets nothing from the state,” Hendel told Channel 14 in an interview. The Reservists go further, proposing removal of voting and candidacy rights, driving-license revocation and restrictions on foreign travel. Their benefits for those serving include tax credits, childcare and housing assistance, alongside preferences for reservists in public employment and government procurement.

Alongside this targeted assistance, Zelekha proposes broader reductions in household costs. His program would abolish food-import tariffs and quotas, dismantle agricultural production councils and strengthen action against monopoly pricing. It would also open kosher certification to competing qualified rabbis under government supervision. Banking reforms include a new privately operated bank with partial state financing, mandatory interest on current-account balances and expanded small-business credit.

The Economic Party advocates reducing VAT from 18% to 17% initially and to 12% within six years, alongside reductions in personal and corporate taxation. It proposes financing these cuts chiefly through withdrawing large-company subsidies and reducing government costs through closure of ministries and budgetary audits.

The Economic Party’s education program would reduce class sizes to 18 pupils while cutting classroom hours, give principals greater control over their schools, and introduce compulsory financial education from elementary school through high school.

In healthcare, NEP proposes building three hospitals in northern and southern Israel, opening a new medical school and expanding training for doctors and nurses. It would also add medical and nursing positions, improve pay for interns and resident doctors, and strengthen mental-health services and access to care in peripheral communities.

The partners

Hendel and Zelekha seek to use their parliamentary representation to bring together parties from Israel’s rival political camps. Hendel has rejected providing the decisive votes for either a narrow Netanyahu-led government dependent on haredi parties or an alternative dependent on Arab parties. “We will recommend [for prime minister] whoever brings the most Zionist seats,” he said at a Ynet conference. His proposed majority would therefore require cooperation across the existing blocs.

That position leaves Likud among the potential partners. Although Hendel holds Netanyahu responsible for the failures surrounding Oct. 7, he has not imposed an unconditional boycott on the prime minister. In September, he explicitly identified a government bringing together Netanyahu, Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett as one that his list could join. The Reservists’ published conditions are a broad Zionist government, universal-service legislation and an inquiry into Oct. 7.

Zelekha has a separate demand for the Finance Ministry. He has said he would accept no other portfolio and would remain in opposition without it. Hendel supports his appointment but has not made it one of his party’s formal coalition conditions. Their electoral partnership therefore does not eliminate differences over the terms of entering government.

Hendel also approached Ofer Winter’s Amcha Yisrael, proposing on Oct. 8 that they sign a surplus-vote agreement and jointly reject governments dependent on haredi or Arab factions. Neither list signed a surplus-vote agreement by the Oct. 16 deadline.

The Reservists–NEP joint list has been projected to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold in eight of the 12 major polls published over the past two weeks, winning four or five seats. A four-seat result would give each party just two lawmakers, but even that small delegation could carry considerable weight if neither Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition parties secured a governing majority.

Hendel and Zelekha could then become pivotal negotiators, although their refusal to support a government dependent on haredi or Arab parties would limit their options. Their influence would therefore depend on more than winning seats: They would need to persuade larger parties from rival camps to govern together. Crossing the threshold would give them a place at the negotiating table; turning that position into the broad government they advocate would remain the harder political task.