Gadi Eisenkot's Party Taps Hostage Survivor, Bereaved Parents for Knesset List
The "Honor Roll" set to conclude the "Yashar!" party's Knesset list for the upcoming elections includes prominent figures representing various facets of Israeli society and the aftermath of the October 7th attacks. Ohad Ben-Ami, a survivor held captive by Hamas for 491 days after being abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri, will occupy the final spot at number 120. His wife Raz was also abducted but later released.
The list from positions 110 to 119 features a diverse group, including former Major General Gidon Sheffer, a decorated fighter pilot and former acting National Security Advisor who was a POW in the Yom Kippur War. Also included are Shira and Eli Albag, parents of hostage Liri Albag, who became central figures in the advocacy for the release of all hostages. Yoni Levi, father of former hostage Naama Levi, is also on the list, having been a prominent advocate for their release.
Further down the list are Sapir Hamami, widow of Lt. Col. Assaf Hamami who fell on October 7th and whose body was abducted; Hertzel Gerstein, widow of Brigadier General Erez Gerstein, who was killed in Lebanon in 1999; Adina Bar-Shalom, daughter of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and founder of the Jerusalem College for Haredi Women, known for her work integrating the Haredi community into higher education and employment; retired Lt. Col. Gidon Abbas, a pioneering Druze officer whose grandson fell in Gaza; Professor Manuel Trajtenberg, a leading economist and former head of the National Economic Council; and Dan Meridor, a veteran statesman who served in numerous senior government roles including Justice Minister and Finance Minister.
A spokesperson for "Yashar!" stated that the "Honor Roll" represents the Israeli story, acknowledging the heavy price of the October 7th failures and the war, and emphasizing the national duty to investigate, learn, rehabilitate, heal, and unite Israeli society. Party leader Gadi Eisenkot added that the list's conclusion aims to reflect the story of Israel and the deep need for societal healing.
