Reservists Party misses threshold as military votes remain uncounted

The Reservists-Economic Party stands 100,000 votes short of entering the Knesset with 85.6% of general ballots processed, but its leader says uncounted military votes may still save the effort.

Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the party, spoke to N12 on Wednesday about the ongoing count. He noted that the party currently holds roughly 2.6% of the general vote. The Knesset requires a 3.25% threshold for entry. Hendel said he is waiting for the double-envelope ballots, which contain votes from soldiers serving in the field, to be tallied.

"I am waiting for the counting of the double envelopes," Hendel stated. "I still call on everyone to form a Zionist government. We will wait for the soldier’s votes, and I hope we will succeed." He added that without a unified government, the country would face disintegration.

Hendel addressed early media projections that suggested his party would fail to cross the line. He accepted responsibility for the low numbers but argued that media coverage reinforced the narrative of failure. "I take responsibility for what happened, but the media kept drumming into people's heads that we wouldn't cross the electoral threshold," he said.

Ofer Winter, leader of the People of Israel party, announced on Wednesday that his movement would continue its work despite missing the threshold. Winter posted on Instagram on Wednesday, acknowledging the immediate political setback while framing the campaign as the start of a longer process. He wrote that since October 7, he believed the public needed different leadership focused on truth and justice.

"Unfortunately, I did not succeed. Not yet," Winter wrote in the post. He described the effort as a long and shared journey aimed at providing united leadership for the nation.