Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad is currently working to establish a new party to run in the upcoming elections and is in the process of partnering with former deputy mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, sources close to Haddad told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
Haddad is aiming to translate his social media support to the general public and into real influence from within the political apparatus in Jerusalem, a source close to Haddad said.
General elections are scheduled for no later than October.
Haddad is a vocal supporter of Israel, advocating consistently for the country on news outlets and social media. He has also gone on numerous international speaking tours.
In February, a Midgam Institute survey was released that showed a party led by Hadad could win four Knesset seats.
“All options are on the table,” Haddad’s spokesperson said at the time the survey was published. “He is busy acting and fighting for the State of Israel in every arena in which he can influence.”
Haddad would receive most support from Jewish sector, survey finds
The survey found that a party led by Haddad would cross the electoral threshold, outperforming parties currently represented in the Knesset, including MK Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, which has consistently been falling below the threshold in recent polls.
The survey also showed that he would receive support from voters both from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the rivaling opposition bloc, creating the possibility for his potential party to shift the dynamic in the political sphere.
Especially after the start of Israel’s war, Haddad’s online platform grew rapidly, and he became a prominent and well-known voice on social networks, often appearing as a guest on TV programs throughout the country.
Haddad was seriously wounded in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, while serving in the IDF.
He has also established a nonprofit foundation, Together Vouch for Each Other. It calls to connect Arab society with Israeli society at large and to find solutions to the issues of Arab society.
Hassan-Nahoum is originally from Gibraltar, a British colony at the tip of Spain, opposite Morocco, where her father, Sir Joshua Hassan, was the first mayor. He subsequently served as chief minister, 1964-69 and 1972-1987, winning every election except one.
She currently serves as special envoy for trade innovation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In 2024, she became secretary-general of Kol Israel, a faction of the World Zionist Congress.
Hassan-Nahoum, fluent in English, Spanish, and French, is active in advocating for Israel and women’s rights in the international media; locally, she plays an important role as a social commentator.
She led the Yerushalmim party in 2013. From 2018 until 2023, she served as deputy mayor of Jerusalem and was previously a member of the Jerusalem city council.
In 2022, Hassan-Nahoum ran in the Likud primaries ahead of the elections, where she scored 73 on the party’s list, and therefore, did not make it into the Knesset.