Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! Party Unveils Honorary Candidates to Close Knesset List
The Yashar! party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, has named its honorary list-closers for the Knesset elections, including former hostage Ohad Ben Ami, military veterans, and prominent public figures.
The "Yashar!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, has unveiled the honorary group of public figures who will close the party's candidate list for the upcoming Knesset elections.
Ohad Ben Ami, who survived 491 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, has been placed in the symbolic 120th slot. Slots 110 through 119 feature prominent military veterans, relatives of hostages, economists, and public figures.
The Honorary Ten Nominees
The list includes:
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Ohad Ben Ami (120th slot) — A resident of Kibbutz Be'eri who was abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His wife, Raz, was released after 54 days, while Ohad was held for 491 days under harsh conditions in Gaza tunnels. Since his return, he has been a leading advocate for the release of all remaining hostages.
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Major General (Res.) Gideon Sheffer — A veteran fighter pilot and former commander of the 119th Squadron, decorated for an operational reconnaissance mission in Iraq. He was held as a prisoner of war in Egypt during the Yom Kippur War before returning to active duty. He later served as head of the IDF Personnel Directorate and acting head of the National Security Council (NSC).
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Shira and Eli Albag — The parents of Liri Albag, who was abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost on October 7 and released after 477 days in captivity. They have been central figures in the global campaign to return the hostages.
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Yoni Levy — The father of Naama Levy, who was abducted alongside Liri Albag and also released after 477 days in captivity.
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Sapir Zohav Hamami — The widow of Colonel Asaf Hamami, commander of the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade, who fell in battle on October 7 and whose body was abducted to Gaza.
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Hertal Gerstein — The widow of Brigadier General Erez Gerstein, a prominent Golani Brigade commander who was killed by a roadside bomb in South Lebanon in 1999.
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Adina Bar-Shalom — An Israel Prize laureate, founder of the Haredi College of Jerusalem, and daughter of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. She is a pioneer in integrating ultra-Orthodox women into higher education and the workforce.
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Colonel (Res.) Gideon Abbas — One of the first senior Druze officers in the IDF. His grandson, Major Jamal Abbas, a company commander in the Paratroopers Brigade's 101st Battalion, fell in battle in Gaza during the current war.
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Professor Manuel Trajtenberg — A leading economist, the first chairman of the National Economic Council, former Knesset member, and former head of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
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Dan Meridor — A veteran statesman who served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Finance, widely associated with Israel's national-liberal tradition.
Party Statements
The "Yashar!" party stated:
"The honorary ten closing our list tells the Israeli story: the heavy price of the October 7 failure and the war, alongside the national duty to investigate what occurred, learn lessons, rebuild, heal the wounds, and reunite Israeli society."
Party chairman Gadi Eisenkot added:
"We chose to seal our list of candidates for the Knesset with an honorary group that tells the story of the State of Israel and the profound need to heal Israeli society after the challenges of recent years."
