YNET
From October 7 tragedy to the Knesset: Bereaved families and war survivors enter Israeli politics
Amir Ettinger
November 10, 2026

Israel’s 26th Knesset, which will be sworn in Tuesday, will include several lawmakers whose lives, or those of their immediate families, were directly affected by the October 7 Hamas attack and the war that followed. Among them are five close relatives of people killed in the October 7 massacre. 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. READ MORE

ISRAEL HAYOM Eisenkot warns Netanyahu against risky military moves MK Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, urging him to exercise restraint and avoid potentially dangerous security decisions while serving as caretaker prime minister. “I demand that you act with national responsibility during this sensitive period. Show restraint and caution, and avoid dangerous moves that can wait until a new government enjoying the Knesset’s confidence is sworn in. Do not undermine the public’s trust in the institutions of government and the decision-making process,” Eisenkot wrote. Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu warned that Israel was facing a moment of testing, which he said underscored the need for political unity.

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