Eisenkot’s New Party Builds Financial Muscle Ahead of Campaign

Gadi Eisenkot’s new Yashar party is not only gaining ground in recent polls. It is also building the financial infrastructure needed to run a serious national campaign.

According to a Calcalist report, Eisenkot has raised 16 financial guarantees over the past six months, totaling around NIS 10 million. For a newly formed party, the figure represents a significant early achievement and gives Yashar a stronger position as the election campaign moves toward its decisive stages.

The guarantees are backed by several prominent business figures in Israel and abroad. Among them is businessman Shmuel Harlap, chairman of Colmobil and a well-known investor in Israeli start-ups, who reportedly provided a guarantee of NIS 986,000. Another major guarantee, worth NIS 1 million, came from Jewish-Australian businessman and philanthropist Frank Lowy, a Holocaust survivor and co-founder of the international Westfield shopping center empire.

The party has also seen growing support from smaller and mid-sized donors, a sign that Eisenkot’s rise in the polls is beginning to translate into political financing. So far, 108 donors have contributed a combined NIS 916,000 to the party.

Recent donors include Kalman Shaham, founder and owner of the Altshuler Shaham investment house, who donated NIS 14,000; Avraham Bigger, former chairman of Paz, who donated NIS 5,000; and Yaakov Gelbard, former CEO of Blue Square, Bezeq and Partner, who donated NIS 10,000.

The guarantee drive is especially important because Yashar is a new party. When candidate lists are submitted to the Central Elections Committee, 45 days before election day, Eisenkot’s party is expected to be eligible for an official Knesset loan of around NIS 10 million. To receive that loan, the party must present a matching bank guarantee.

By securing those guarantees early, Eisenkot has effectively ensured that Yashar will be able to access the campaign financing available to it. That means the party can plan its campaign with a steadier cash flow, including spending on staff, advertising, field operations and election-day organization.

The development comes as Eisenkot continues to position himself as a major player in the opposition camp. Polling momentum is one part of that effort, but campaign infrastructure is another. A party that cannot finance its operation cannot turn favorable headlines into votes.

For Yashar, the new fundraising figures suggest that senior figures in the business world believe Eisenkot’s political project may have staying power. For Eisenkot, that may be nearly as important as the polls themselves.