Reservists Party to hold leadership race, elect Knesset slate this month

By Ariela Karmel

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1 June 2026, 1:43 pm

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Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Yoaz Hendel, head of the Reservists’ Party, speaks during the party’s launch event ahead of the 2026 general elections, at Kibbutz Ma'ale HaHamisha near Jerusalem, November 19, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

The Reservists Party, led by former communications minister Yoaz Hendel, announces that it will hold elections for party leader on June 8 and its Knesset slate on June 16.

The leader will be elected by a 40-member body “composed of bereaved family members, wounded veterans, reservists, and social activists” previously elected by registered members, according to a party statement.

Voting for the party’s Knesset slate will be open to all members who register by Friday, the deadline both for voting and for running in the primaries.

Hendel, a critic of the government and a battalion commander in the reserves, founded the fledgling party last year with the goal of passing a universal draft law. He has said that party membership would be restricted only to those who have performed military or national service.

However, the party has consistently failed to win any seats in weekly polls, prompting speculation that it may ultimately merge with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, which has also hovered around the 3.25% threshold.