Former council head and officer from the Gaza envelope whose son was murdered: the new additions to Eisenkot's list

Less than two weeks before the closing of the lists for the Knesset, the chairman of the Yashar! party, Gadi Eisenkot, announced today, Sunday, the addition of two new candidates to his list, both from the south. Eisenkot announced the addition of Tal Ohana-Hachmon, former head of the Yeruham council and project manager for the rehabilitation of northern communities, and Col. (res.) Nir Hachabi, a member of Kibbutz Kissufim whose son Yonatan was murdered in the Hamas attack on October 7.

Eisenkot said:

"Tal and Nir are leaders who grew up in the south and dedicated years to security, settlement, and the development of the Negev and the Gaza envelope. As people of action who know the region and its needs deeply, they bring with them rich experience and a deep commitment to its rehabilitation and prosperity. Together, we will place the rehabilitation and development of the south at the top of the national priorities and work to turn it into a safe, prosperous, and growing region."

According to the party's announcement, Tal Ohana, former head of the Yeruham council, is one of the leaders of local and social leadership in the Negev. "Ohana began her public path in Yeruham, served as a council member, deputy and acting head of the council, and held the education and strategic development portfolios. In 2018, she was elected to head the council and was one of the prominent leaders in the fight against the coronavirus crisis. Ohana is a recipient of the Ben-Gurion Award, the Movement for Quality Government Award, and the Rappaport Prize for a trailblazing woman, and holds a bachelor's and master's degree with high honors in government and diplomacy from Reichman University."

"During her years in Yeruham, Ohana worked to promote education and employment, economic development, and the creation of new opportunities for the residents of the Negev, based on the concept of the periphery as a national engine of growth. In recent years, she expanded her work to the north and was involved in promoting processes of rehabilitation and growth for communities and settlements affected by the war. Tal serves as the chair of the '255 Organization' for the rehabilitation of hostages' families."

Ohana stated: "For four generations, the Negev has been my home and my public mission. Here I grew up, and here I was privileged from a young age to dedicate myself to public service, out of love for the place, out of the belief that the Negev is the future of the country and by it, it will be judged. The people of the Negev deserve to enjoy the same opportunities in education, employment, and quality of life as anywhere else in Israel. As a council head, I learned that the way to change reality passes through strong local leadership, initiative, innovation, and the ability to turn a vision into action. I am joining Gadi Eisenkot to bring the experience I gained in local government and regional development, to place the Negev and the Galilee at the top of the national priorities, and to turn them into a significant engine of growth for the State of Israel."

Col. (res.) Hachabi was born and raised in Moshav Yakhini, currently a member of Kibbutz Kissufim, an IDF disabled veteran who studied at the "Beit Yehuda Kfar Maimon" high school yeshiva. The party's announcement stated that he "dedicated decades to the security of Israel, to settlement, and to the Western Negev and the Gaza envelope." Hachabi enlisted in the Golani Brigade and served for 26 years as an officer in the IDF, continued to command in the reserves, and was later promoted to the rank of colonel. During the war, he was chosen as an outstanding officer by the Chief of Staff after serving hundreds of reserve days as a battalion commander in combat, and in the last year, he was one of the founders of the Western Negev district in the Home Front Command, intended to strengthen the response and connection with the Gaza envelope communities. On October 7, his son Yonatan was murdered.

"Hachabi, who was abroad on the morning of the disaster, returned to Israel and reported for duty to command his combat reserve battalion for hundreds of reserve days. Since then, he continues to choose action and building the tomorrow of the Western Negev, in security, settlement, strengthening communities, and rehabilitating the region. Hachabi is one of the leaders of the Yashar! program for the rehabilitation and prosperity of the south," it was stated. "Alongside his security service, Hachabi has significant managerial and public experience. He served as the community manager of Kibbutz Kissufim, and between 2022-2025, he managed the operating company of the Training Bases City (Ir HaBahadim). In the last year and a half, he has also been working as a lecturer and mentor in the fields of leadership and growth through crisis and bereavement."

Col. (res.) Hachabi stated: "The Western Negev has always been my home. I was born in Yakhini, I built my life in Kissufim, here I raised my family, and here I dedicated years to security, settlement, and the community. On October 7, I lost my son Yonatan, and since then, alongside the pain and loss, I chose to continue working for the place that is our home and for its future. I am joining Gadi Eisenkot to bring the experience I gained in the army, in settlement, and in management, and to work for the security, rehabilitation, and growth of the south. Our responsibility is not only to return the Western Negev to what it was before October 7, but to build it stronger, safer, and more prosperous — for those we lost and for the generations that will grow up here after us."