Israel’s 26th Knesset held its inaugural session today, with 120 lawmakers sworn in as the country prepares to form its next government. Ynet reports that nine of these lawmakers lost family members in the October 7, 2023, attacks, survived the massacre, or played a role in fighting back against the terrorists.
Among them is Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, whose son, Gal Meir, was killed in Gaza in December 2023 while participating in an operation to retrieve bodies:
Rafi Ben Shitrit, No. 2 on Yisrael Beytenu’s list, lost his son Elroi Ben Shitrit on the morning of October 7 during the fighting involving the IDF’s balloon observation unit at Nahal Oz. A former mayor of Beit She’an, Ben Shitrit was among the leaders of the October Council, a forum of bereaved families campaigning for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the massacre and the replacement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Another Yisrael Beytenu lawmaker is Sharon Sharabi, brother of Yossi and Eli Sharabi from Kibbutz Be’eri, both of whom were abducted to Gaza on October 7. Eli survived captivity and returned in the January 2025 hostage deal, but Yossi was murdered in captivity, and his body was later returned to Israel for burial.
In Likud, Talik Gvili, mother of Israel Police special patrol officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who fell while defending Kibbutz Alumim on October 7 and whose body was returned to Israel in a complex operation, was placed ninth on the party’s list.
Elisha Medan, who was seriously wounded during the early stages of the ground offensive in Beit Hanoun in November 2023 and lost both legs, was placed 15th on Likud’s list.
Other new lawmakers include Michal Nagari of the Yachad party, whose son, Roi, was killed defending Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Zehut party chairman Moshe Feiglin’s grandson, Yair Levin, was killed in Rafah in June 2024. Omri Ronen’s grandmother, Nira, who helped establish Kibbutz Kfar Aza, was killed by terrorists when they invaded the community on the morning of October 7.
President Isaac Herzog acknowledged the lawmakers’ sacrifices in his address to the new Knesset, saying, “I stand here before you with a deep sense of reverence, before those of you who chose, out of bereavement, despite bereavement and alongside bereavement and injury, to insist on serving Israeli society as members of Knesset. Since the October 7 massacre, we have undergone enormous upheavals. We have known terrible depths and climbed to great heights. We encountered terrible pain and discovered how much sacrifice and courage there is in Israel.”
The Fellowship and our supporters pray for these lawmakers in their new roles. After enduring profound loss, they are now focusing their energy into building a safer, more secure future for Israel.