Surprise Exit Shakes Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists Party Ahead of Primary Vote

Attorney Shvut Ra'anan, one of the leading voices against the draft law and a central activist in Yoaz Hendel’s "Reservists" party, announced on Tuesday that she is withdrawing from the party’s primary race just hours before voting was set to begin.

In a message to party members, Ra'anan said that after "the recent days and the new reality in the Middle East," she had concluded that an authentic reservists’ struggle, important as it may be, is no longer enough on its own to meet Israel’s broader challenges. She said she will continue working to create the missing political home for many in the national religious and right-wing public, in a framework that "includes rather than excludes" and combines national and security responsibility with mutual obligation toward those who serve, alongside an agenda of security, education, settlement, and fixing state institutions.

Ra'anan thanked Hendel for his trust and said she intends to keep working with "as many good forces as possible in the corridors of repair and action." The move comes one week after the party said Hendel had been re-elected chairman in internal elections, which the party said took place while he was serving reserve duty with his unit.

The party also published its list of candidates for the primary that will determine its Knesset slate. Those primaries are scheduled for June 16, and the field includes reserve soldiers, bereaved family members, educators, police officers, rabbis, and social activists.