Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleWelcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Political correspondent Sam Sokol joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.
WATCH the full episode here:
With a growing number of new splinter parties on the right and center-right, some of them founded by former Netanyahu allies, Sokol reviews the latest additions, noting that most of these third-bloc parties, not part of the coalition or opposition blocs, are polling below the electoral threshold as all jockey for position.
More from The Daily Briefing
September 22, 2026Daily Briefing Sept. 22: Did muting Macklemore make his message louder?
September 20, 2026Daily Briefing Sept. 20 - IDF bolsters forces on all fronts ahead of Yom Kippur
September 17, 2026Daily Briefing Sept. 17: Foreign Ministry tells diplomats to dial down attacks on ‘NAZA’ film
September 16, 2026Daily Briefing Sept. 16 - From Mecca to Mokha: Houthis flex as Saudis flail
September 15, 2026Daily Briefing Sept. 15: How upstart parties could determine the Israeli election
Sokol reports on the campaign of former IDF general Ofer Winter, who has placed himself firmly in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp even as he criticizes the Netanyahu government, but whose People of Israel party appears to be thriving at the cost of the Religious Zionism party of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Sokol also reports on a new Haredi party, The Charedi Public, founded by Beit Shemesh deputy mayor Moti Leitner to challenge the preeminent ideologies in the ultra-Orthodox community and be more responsive to the needs and demands of the Haredi public.
Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
With only days left to submit slates, small parties are still jockeying for position
Netanyahu warns Winter’s party could ‘bring down’ his coalition, urges meeting
With debutant Winter poised to cannibalize his bloc, Netanyahu has reason to sweat
Winter launches nationalist ‘People of Israel’ party; Netanyahu warns it could doom the right
No slate, no HQ: Sharren Haskel wages an uphill fight to return to the Knesset
Launching campaign, new Haredi party slams ‘detachment, stupidity’ of existing factions
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.
Check out yesterday’s episode here:
The Times of Israel Community.