Full Breakdown
Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu Unveils 25-Member Slate Ahead of October 27 Election
9/7/2026, 4:29:41 AM
Core Event: Slate Announcement and Candidate Line-up
Yisrael Beytenu presented a 25-person list at Expo Tel Aviv before the October 27 deadline. Party chairman Avigdor Liberman heads the slate, followed by former Beit Shean mayor Rafi Ben Shitrit and retired Colonel Talia Lankri, a former deputy head of the National Security Council. Incumbent MKs Oded Forer and Yulia Malinovsky occupy the fourth and fifth slots; Sharon Sharabi, whose brothers were Hamas hostages, is sixth. Druze MK Hamad Amar and MK Evgeny Sova are seventh and eighth, Lod deputy mayor Elvira Kolikhman ninth, and former Likud MK Dan Illouz rounds out the top ten. Additional candidates include advocate Lili Ben Ami, Metula mayor David Azoulai, and Capt. (res.) Israel Ben-Shitrit, wounded in Khan Younis. Over 1,000 people attended.
Background & Context
Yisrael Beytenu positions itself as a hawkish opposition party seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It calls for a decisive military stance against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, supports expanding West-Bank settlements, and advocates a clear separation of religion and state. Liberman, a former Defense Ministry head, frames himself as a security-focused alternative to Netanyahu. The party is part of an anti-Netanyahu bloc that includes Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad alliance with Yair Lapid.
Key Figures & Groups
- Avigdor Liberman — party chairman, former Defense Minister.
- Rafi Ben Shitrit — former Beit Shean mayor, ex-Likud member.
- Talia Lankri — retired colonel, former deputy head of the National Security Council.
- Sharon Sharabi — brother of former Hamas hostages.
- Hamad Amar — Druze MK.
- Evgeny Sova — MK.
- Elvira Kolikhman — deputy mayor of Lod.
- Dan Illouz — former Likud MK, critic of Netanyahu.
Data & Statistics
- Slate size: 25 candidates.
- Recent polls estimate 8-11 seats for Yisrael Beytenu.
- Launch attendance exceeded 1,000.
Official Statements & Responses
Liberman warned that “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.” He called for a “clear and decisive victory” to form a “Zionist, nationalist, and liberal government” focused on IDF service, work and tax-paying citizens.
Why It Matters / Impact
The slate’s emphasis on security credentials and personal loss from the October 7 attacks aims to attract voters seeking strong defense policies. Projected seat counts place Yisrael Beytenu among the larger parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc, making its performance potentially decisive for assembling a coalition that can reach the 61-seat majority needed to replace Netanyahu. Liberman’s ambition to become prime minister signals a leadership contest within the bloc.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Polling estimates differ: one source cites ten seats, another a range of eight to eleven. No definitive post-election seat count is available yet.
What’s Next
Party lists must be formally submitted by the October 27 deadline. The Knesset election next month will determine whether the anti-Netanyahu bloc can form a governing majority.
