Full Breakdown
Yisrael Beytenu Presents 25-Member Slate Ahead of October 27 Election
9/7/2026, 12:31:53 AM
Core Event
On Sunday, Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the opposition party Yisrael Beytenu, unveiled a 25-candidate list for the 26th Knesset at an Expo Tel Aviv event attended by over 1,000 supporters. Liberman occupies the top spot, followed by former Beit She’an mayor Rafi Ben Shitrit and retired Colonel (res.) Talia Lankri in the second and third positions. Incumbent MKs Oded Forer and Yulia Malinovsky hold the fourth and fifth slots, while Sharon Sharabi—brother of former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi and of Yossi Sharabi, who was murdered while captive—appears sixth. The list also includes Druze lawmaker Hamad Amar, MK Evgeny Sova, Lod deputy mayor Elvira Kolihman, and former Likud MK Dan Illouz among the top ten. Additional candidates range from Lili Ben Ami, whose sister Michal Sela was murdered in 2019, to Metula mayor David Azoulai and gerontologist Yael Benvenisti.
Notable Personal Tragedies
Several candidates are linked to families directly affected by the October 7 2023 Hamas attack. Ben Shitrit’s son Shimon Alroy was killed at the Nahal Oz military outpost during that onslaught. Sharon Sharabi’s brother Yossi was murdered while held hostage, and his other brother Eli survived 491 days of captivity; Eli’s wife Lianne and daughters Noya and Yahel were also killed on October 7. Lili Ben Ami’s sister Michal Sela was murdered in 2019, prompting her advocacy against violence toward women.
Poll Projections & Seat Expectations
According to a poll cited by Times of Israel, the party is projected to secure roughly eight to eleven seats in the October 27 election.
Official Statements & Responses
Liberman framed the slate as a vehicle for a “Zionist, nationalist, and liberal government” that would prioritize IDF service, reserve duty, employment, and tax contributions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The State of Israel cannot become a federation of religious and ethnic minorities, in which each group only cares for itself, and each party only cares for its base,” — Avidgor Liberman, party chairman — Avigdor Liberman, party chairman
