The new political alliance led by former ministers Yoaz Hendel and Chili Tropper will not rule out joining a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but will prioritize advancing its core principles over political considerations, Hendel told The Jerusalem Post in a recent interview.
The alliance, The Zionist Home-The Reservists, was formed earlier this month ahead of the upcoming elections, which are set for October 27.
Hendel had previously been the sole leader of the Reservists party, which he founded, before it merged with Tropper. The two will head the new alliance in a joint leadership.
The two have called for a “broad Zionist government” and stated that the party would not align itself with either the opposition bloc or Netanyahu’s bloc, saying that it was not committed to any political camp.
Hendel elaborated on what his stance was regarding a government with Netanyahu.
Hendel says Netanyahu is not a red line for joining government
“My point of reference is not Netanyahu,” he said. “I am not looking at where Netanyahu is or what he needs to do. I need to focus on other things.”
“My point of reference is principles. If, tomorrow, there is a government of 70-80 Zionist seats and Netanyahu is part of it, of course I would join it,” Hendel added.
“Netanyahu is not my red line. My red line is what kind of ideology the government represents, whether it is a Zionist government,” he explained.
Hendel said that the party was against the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties that do not serve in the IDF, calling on them not to be in the next government.
“Let me put it this way: I can say one thing very clearly: a 61-seat government for Netanyahu will not happen, because that means sitting with the ultra-Orthodox parties, not passing a conscription law, and not accepting responsibility for the war.”
“I do not hide the fact that I want Netanyahu to leave [office], but he is not the most important thing for me. Power is not the goal. I do not need to be prime minister.”
“My mission is to ensure that a conscription law is passed, that people like me who have been exhausted by hundreds of days of reserve duty have a future, [and] that their children have a future,” Hendel said.
“They are looking for a Zionist government, and they are looking for people who represent them, people who also represent a new generation of leadership,” he added.
Amid reports of potential mergers that the party was considering, Hendel said that they were not weighing joining another political alliance at the moment, and expressed confidence in the party’s ability to pass the electoral threshold.
Hendel: 'Our mission is to be the most important party, the party that determines how a government is built'
Hendel said that polls were indicating that they would be able to pass the required threshold.
He added that, while the alliance “may not become the largest party, our mission is to be the most important party, the party that determines what happens here and how a government is built.”
Regarding the party’s policy platform, Hendel said it would push for legislation mandating universal military service, requiring all eligible Israelis to serve in the IDF.
He also said the party would seek to establish a state commission of inquiry to probe government failures during October 7, and that a key party policy was security.
“We also have a very national worldview. We support settlement, we will not allow a Palestinian state to be established, and we support a free economy,” Hendel said.
“We have many principles, and we will establish a Zionist government that stands by these principles,” he added.
“After that, we want to create security for the country, because that is part of our security doctrine.”
“Security means changing the reality on the high ridges and ensuring that Hezbollah does not return to the high ridges in Lebanon. In Gaza, we will not withdraw from the security perimeter.”
“In Judea and Samaria, we must control the high ground and ensure there is settlement. We support settlement and want to ensure that we are present everywhere and strong on the ground.”
A need for judicial reform by bringing all sides together
He also called for reforms to the judicial system, but to ensure that they were carried out by bringing all sides together.
“And I think that is actually one of Chili’s greatest strengths, perhaps his greatest ability in the political system: bringing people from across the political spectrum together to reach agreements,” Hendel noted.
He also expressed that it was important to ensure and work toward the absorption of olim (new immigrants), and to deal with domestic issues such as the economy and cost of living.
Hendel said that the alliance with Tropper was a “natural fit” and that they believed it could become “a home for around 300,000 Israelis who currently don’t find themselves either in the ‘only Bibi’ [Netanyahu] camp.”
Other members who joined the Tropper-Hendel alliance include Shira Shapira, mother of Aner Shapira, who was murdered during the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023, and reservist Elyasaf Peretz, who is also the son of Israel Prize winner Miriam Peretz.