New Knesset Parties Raise 67.8M Shekels in Guarantees Ahead of Elections
Five new Israeli parties running in the 26th Knesset elections have raised 67.8 million shekels in guarantees. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar leads the fundraising, while the Knesset demands an 11.7-million-shekel debt repayment from Benny Gantz.
Five new parties running in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections have raised a combined total of 67.8 million shekels in guarantees, ramping up their fundraising pace in the final stretch of the campaign. The parties include Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar, Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael, Yair Golan's The Democrats, Moti Leitner's HaTzibur HaHaredi, and Yoaz Hendel's reservists' party.
In recent days, Eisenkot and Winter alone secured an additional 8.3 million shekels in guarantees. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar leads the guarantee fundraising by a wide margin, securing 57 guarantees totaling 38.548 million shekels. Over the past five days alone, the party raised eight guarantees amounting to 5.2 million shekels. New guarantors include Alfred Akirov, who added another million shekels to a matching guarantee provided six months ago; Tomer Bar Zeev with 1.5 million shekels; Natan Hetz of Alony Hetz with 900,000 shekels; and Kalman Shaham of Altshuler Shaham with 180,000 shekels. In addition, the party raised 373 donations totaling 2.343 million shekels, bringing its total guarantees and donations to approximately 41 million shekels. According to recent polls, Yashar is projected to become the largest party in the next Knesset.
Other Parties and Funding Status
Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael party raised 14 guarantees totaling 11.470 million shekels, which were used to secure nine loans amounting to 8.538 million shekels. Amid intense pressure to drop out of the race, the party raised an additional four guarantees totaling 3.1 million shekels over the last ten days. Barry Klein of Efrat provided an extra million shekels on top of a previous 3-million-shekel guarantee, Eli Weiss contributed 1 million shekels, Jay Forman added 750,000 shekels to an earlier 2.95-million-shekel guarantee, and Yitzhak Wider provided 350,000 shekels. Polls show Amcha Yisrael oscillating around the electoral threshold.
The Democrats, led by Yair Golan, raised 47 guarantees totaling 8.4 million shekels through the Labor Party, alongside 3,617 donations amounting to 5.688 million shekels. Prominent guarantors include Anat Harlap, widow of former Colmobil chairman Shmuel Harlap, who provided 2 million shekels; Doris Arkin, wife of businessman Mori Arkin, with half a million shekels; and Adam Fischer of Bessemer Venture Partners, who contributed 200,000 shekels in addition to backing Eisenkot's Yashar. Running on a joint list with Meretz, the Labor Party is entitled to election funding based on its four mandates in the outgoing Knesset.
Haredi and Reservist Factions
Moti Leitner's HaTzibur HaHaredi party raised 16 guarantees totaling 5.6 million shekels, including a 2-million-shekel guarantee from high-tech entrepreneur Shlomo Dovrat. Over the past week, the party secured an additional five guarantees totaling 1.025 million shekels, alongside 15 donations amounting to 130,000 shekels. The party reported taking no loans, though polls indicate it currently falls short of the electoral threshold.
Yoaz Hendel's reservists' party raised 14 guarantees totaling 3.812 million shekels, including three guarantees worth 1.8 million shekels over the past three weeks, plus 47 donations totaling 256,000 shekels. The party is running on a joint list with the New Economic Party led by Yaron Zelecha, who did not raise any donations or guarantees. While some polls show the joint slate crossing the electoral threshold, even falling short would entitle them to 1.835 million shekels in public funding if they secure at least 1% of the vote.
Meanwhile, the Knesset accountant has formally requested Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz to repay a debt of 11.7 million shekels to the parliament. The debt stems from an advance on election funding received by his party, which is now required to return the funds following Gantz's announcement last week that he will not run in the 26th Knesset elections.
