Coalition Talks

Hendel: Won't Sit With Him in Government

Reservists Party leader Yoaz Hendel draws a red line, declaring he will refuse to join a coalition with Shas and the haredi parties

Gila Isaacson

SEP 23, 2026 13:16

1 min read

Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reservists and Economic Party, launched a scathing attack on Shas during a radio interview on 103FM, declaring in no uncertain terms his refusal to join any coalition that includes the haredi party.

"Shas is the father of all impurity," Hendel said. "Anyone who encourages mass draft evasion - I will not sit with him."

The party leader went further, warning of the consequences if his faction doesn't gain significant strength in the upcoming elections. "If the Reservists don't come in strong, we're heading to another round of elections," Hendel argued. "These blocs aren't getting us anywhere. I'm working to make sure Goldknopf and Deri don't make decisions here. I will not sit with Netanyahu and the haredi parties."

Days earlier, Hendel addressed recent polling data in an optimistic post. "How many seats will we bring? Here's the answer from the Israel Hayom poll," he wrote. "More and more people see that we're stable at 4 seats and on our way to a fifth."

Hendel expressed confidence that the upward trend would continue, setting an ambitious target for election day: "By the elections, we'll lock in the eighth seat as well."

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