The cost of publicly funding parties in the 26th Knesset elections stands at approximately NIS 300 million, according to calculations published by Calcalist.
According to the report, five lists that ran through multiple separate parties increased public funding by NIS 12.8 million and are expected to receive an additional NIS 24 million over a full four-year parliamentary term.
Under the Political Parties Financing Law, election funding is calculated based on the average number of Knesset seats held by each party in the outgoing and incoming Knessets. Each funding unit is worth NIS 1.835 million, with an additional NIS 2.569 million granted for each party making up a list.
The system allows lists running through multiple parties to receive additional funding, even when the divisions are purely technical.
According to the report, the five lists that took advantage of this arrangement were Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism and the Democrats. Likud, for example, ran through Likud and the National Right party; Religious Zionism through several parties; and the Democrats through Labor and Meretz.
The figures show that Likud and the National Right received the largest amount in election funding, NIS 63.9 million. They were followed by the Beyachad list with NIS 44.5 million and Yashar, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, with NIS 41.1 million.
The Joint List is entitled to NIS 24.2 million, United Torah Judaism to NIS 22.4 million, Religious Zionism and its affiliated parties to NIS 19.6 million, and Shas to NIS 18.1 million.
Otzma Yehudit and the Democrats are each entitled to NIS 17.1 million, while Yisrael Beytenu and Ra'am will each receive NIS 14.5 million.
Parties that failed to cross the electoral threshold are also entitled to funding, provided they received at least 1% of the valid votes. Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael party is entitled to NIS 1.835 million, while Yoaz Hendel's Reservists party and Yaron Zelicha's New Economic Party are each entitled to NIS 918,000.
Alongside the public funding figures, several parties have been left with substantial debts. According to Calcalist, Benny Gantz's Blue and White, Hendel's Reservists party and Avi Maoz's Noam party together owe the Knesset approximately NIS 15 million.
The largest debt belongs to Blue and White, which owes NIS 11.7 million. Noam owes NIS 1.647 million, while the Reservists party's debt is expected to fall to approximately NIS 1.774 million after the election funding owed to it is deducted.
Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael party also faces significant financial obligations. According to the report, it took out loans totaling approximately NIS 8.5 million and is expected to remain with a debt of about NIS 6.7 million to Mizrahi Bank after receiving its election funding. The debt is backed by guarantees.
Calcalist noted that the debts of parties that failed to enter the Knesset raise concerns that some of the public funds transferred to them may never be repaid, and called for a review of the party-funding system.