Yisrael Beiteinu has closed its Knesset election list, placing former Beit She'an mayor Rafi Ben Shitrit (father of fallen Oct 7 soldier), Col. (res.) Talia Lankri (former deputy head of the National Security Council for counter-terror and home front), and Sharon Sharabi (brother of a murdered hostage and a returned hostage) in slots 2, 3, and 6 respectively, reportedly.
Earlier this evening (Sunday), Yisrael Beiteinu finalized its Knesset election list, assigning three figures tied to the October 7 massacre and its aftermath to prominent slots. Former Beit She'an mayor Rafi Ben Shitrit, whose son Elroi fell on Oct 7 while serving in the IDF, placed second; Col. (res.) Talia Lankri, former deputy head of the National Security Council for counter-terror and home front policy, placed third; and Sharon Sharabi, brother of murdered hostage Yossi Sharabi and returned hostage Eli Sharabi, placed sixth. The exact slot assignments were not included in earlier reports of the party's slate.
The Zioneer reported earlier this evening (Sun 20:23 Jerusalem) that Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman had unveiled the slate including Ben Shitrit, Lankri, and Sharabi without specifying their positions. A subsequent report confirmed the full 15-candidate list included Dan Illouz in slot 10, reversing earlier indications of his omission. The finalized list now confirms the precise ranking of the three October 7-connected figures.
As The Zioneer has reported, Yisrael Beiteinu's placement of bereaved family members and hostage relatives in high slots reflects a broader trend among Israeli parties ahead of the election. The party has positioned figures directly tied to the national trauma of October 7 to signal its priorities. The list is now closed.
No further changes are anticipated to the finalized slate.
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