Unexpected Names Emerge on Israeli Election Candidate Lists

The deadline for submitting candidate lists for the upcoming Knesset elections passed on September 8, with thousands of individuals vying for seats across 38 party slates. While most are unlikely to win, the lists feature several notable figures beyond established politicians. Among them is former pole vault champion and European champion, Alexander Averbukh, who secured the 41st spot on the Yashar party list led by Gadi Eisenkot. Averbukh, a former Likud member, recently announced his departure from the party, citing shifting priorities.

Other prominent figures include fencer Lydia Hatuel-Tozman, a three-time Olympian, who is placed 74th on the Be-Yahad list, headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Semen Grafman, who previously served prison time in the US, is leading his own party, Betach - Social Security, marking his return to electoral politics after a previous unsuccessful bid in 2019. Avi Shaked, who calls himself a "millionaire socialist," is heading the Jewish-Arab party "Together We Will Succeed," which notably features only one Jewish candidate among 19 Arab candidates.

Larisa Trembovler, the wife of Yigal Amir, the assassin of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, is heading the "Just Court" party, with Yigal Amir's mother, Geula Amir, listed in second place. This is Trembovler's second attempt to enter the Knesset, having previously run with slogans related to her husband's case.

Professor Dan Ariely, author of "Predictably Irrational," is running third on the Pirate Party's list. The party has participated in elections since 2013 without crossing the electoral threshold. The Pirate Party's leader even appeared at the election commission in a pirate hat. Larger parties also feature celebrities, often in non-viable positions, such as actress Esti Zakheim and writer Thelma Eligon Roz on the Democrats' list, and writer Roni Somek on the Be-Yahad list.

Additionally, the ultra-Orthodox party "The Haredi Public," led by Moti Leitner, includes two women in its top four: researcher Dr. Nechumi Yaffe and activist Ziva Galantz, who advocated for secular subjects in ultra-Orthodox schools.