Ahoy, Knesset: Israel’s Pirate Party sets sail with Dan Ariely on its slate

Jerusalem Post/Israel Election 2026The veteran fringe party filed a 25-person list for the October election, with the behavioral economist and best-selling author taking the No. 3 spot.Follow us on GooglePIRATE PARTY heads Prof. Dan Ariely (left), a behavioral economist, and Noam Kuzar present their candidacy to run in the elections at the Knesset, September 7, 2026.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)SEPTEMBER 7, 2026 22:26Israel’s Pirate Party sailed back into election season on Monday, filing its candidate list for the 26th Knesset with a familiar assortment of pirate hats and one rather unexpected recruit: Prof. Dan Ariely.Ariely, the Israeli-American behavioral economist and best-selling author, was placed third on the party’s 25-person slate submitted to the Central Elections Committee. He also appeared at the Knesset sporting a pirate hat, keeping with party tradition.Asked by Israeli news site Kipa why he had joined the Pirates, Ariely offered a concise explanation: “Politics is fun.”The Pirates have been a colorful fixture of Israeli election campaigns for more than a decade.Founded in 2012, the party first ran for the Knesset in 2013, when it received just over 2,000 votes, still its best showing to date. It has never come close to crossing the electoral threshold.PIRATE PARTY heads Prof. Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, and Noam Kuzar present their candidacy to run in the elections at the Knesset, September 7, 2026. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)The Pirate Party advocates for Israelis to play a more direct role in its democracyThe party advocates using technology to give citizens a more direct role in government decisions.Its representative Daniel Felber said ahead of the filing that Israel’s democracy should allow citizens to influence decisions throughout a Knesset term rather than only on Election Day.The Pirates are unlikely to make it into the Knesset. But with Ariely on the list and pirate hats in the halls of parliament, they did manage to get noticed.Follow us on Google