Former Deputy Foreign Minister MK Sharren Haskel's Israel First Party may have sounded promising at first.
The right-wing party was founded after the deputy minister left the government over the proposed bill to exempt Haredim from the IDF draft.
It got another significant boost when, in August, former spy Jonathan Pollard joined its leadership. At the time, Pollard said that he believes in Haskel and her path, and explained that he chose to support the party since it exemplifies, according to him, Zionist and nationalist leadership that puts Israel's security at the forefront of the agenda and does not apologize for the country's Jewish character.
To further strengthen its chances in the elections, Israel First formed a joint list with the veteran libertarian pro-cannabis legalization party, Aleh Yarok.
However, these efforts did not translate into electoral success; far from it.
With 100% of the regular votes counted, just 857 Israelis had voted for Haskel's party, 0.02% of the vote.
To add insult to injury, Israel First had even worse results than parties considered by most in Israel to be "joke parties."
Among the parties that surpassed Israel First is Sharshar for Love and National Unity. The party is led by Eitan Shvili, a 66-year-old businessman from Givat Shmuel, who prefers the name King Sharar. Sharshar is best known for his regal appearance, complete with gold chains, rings, a cape, and a large gold crown, and for throwing dollar bills wherever he goes.
Haskel's party just beat out the Garden of Eden Party, led by Messianic Jew Yeshua (Jesus) Israel Ben David. Ben David's platform seeks to turn Israel into the Garden of Eden by, among other things, proposing sweeping economic changes, including a national jubilee with total debt forgiveness, cancellation of mortgages, a basic life stipend, a public digital shekel, and an open state budget.
In an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News last month, Haskel was confident about her party's chances in the Knesset race and explained that her decision to run independently followed talks and attempts to advance several political alliances. She said that following consultations with Jonathan Pollard and others, they decided to remain in the race rather than withdraw.
Haskel sought to position Israel First as a political force that would prevent either of the two political blocs from forming a government without its support. She said the party would seek to push for the formation of a national and Zionist government focused on security, the economy, military service, and education, without relying on either haredi or Arab parties.
Haskel expressed confidence that Israel First would cross the electoral threshold during the campaign. She pointed to polling data that, she said, had already given her party close to 1% support, as well as its alliance with Ale Yarok, which advocates for the legalization of cannabis, arguing that continuing to promote the party's message would attract additional voters.
Haskel also discussed her partnership with Jonathan Pollard, whom she described as someone who paid a heavy personal price because of his Zionist beliefs. She said Pollard is involved in Israel First's activities, takes part in private home meetings and grassroots campaigning, and provides support to her and the party.