Honor for the Negev: The Lehavim Local Council won the Minister of Defense Shield Award for 2026
Lehavim is the only authority from the Negev that won the prestigious award for supporting reservists and their families. Alongside the community support, the council will soon market new plots intended for reservists only as part of a second phase.
The Lehavim Local Council was chosen on Tuesday as the winner of the Minister of Defense Shield Award for 2026. Lehavim is the only local authority from the Negev to win this prestigious award, which is granted to employers, organizations, academic institutions, and local authorities that lead exceptional efforts for the benefit of reservists and their family members.
The Minister of Defense Shield Award is considered one of the most prestigious awards in Israel in the field of recognition and support for the reserve array. This year, over 1,000 recommendations were submitted by reservists and their family members. Following a professional and in-depth process, 99 finalists were selected — including 76 employers, 13 academic institutions, and only ten local authorities, with Lehavim being chosen as one of the winners and the only one from the entire Negev region.
The head of the Lehavim Local Council, Elad Arazi, welcomed the win:
"This is an award that belongs first and foremost to the reservists and their family members. For us, the support reflects a deep and ongoing commitment of the council and the entire Lehavim community."
"Winning the Minister of Defense Shield Award is a great honor and immense pride for Lehavim, and the fact that we are the only local authority from the Negev to have won it gives the achievement special significance. We will soon launch the second phase of marketing plots intended exclusively for reservists — a step that expresses our commitment not only to recognition and saying thank you, but also to enabling them to build a home and a future in the Lehavim community," he added.
