From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Bennett names 23-year-old reservist activist Yonatan Shalev to party slate
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett appoints Yonatan Shalev, the 23-year-old co-founder of the Shoulder to Shoulder movement, as the newest addition to his party’s electoral ticket.
In a joint statement, the movement, which represents reservists and young soldiers and advocates for Haredi conscription, says that Bennett’s party is its “moral and natural home” and that the group had joined Bennett “because only he has proven that he will fix Israel and build a better future for the youth of Israel.”
While the announcement does not state what spot Shalev is being given, it does say that he will be at the “forefront” of the party electoral list and leadership.
“Naftali Bennett is the only leader who can rehabilitate the people and rebuild the country,” says Shalev.
“On October 7, when Israel’s leadership collapsed, the younger generation stood up, fought and saved the State of Israel. We discovered that we have the best younger generation in the history of the State of Israel. Towards the day after, we need the energies of this wonderful generation to lift Israel up again,” says Bennett.
Earlier this week, Bennett announced the first two members of his slate: Keren Terner, who resigned as director general of the Finance Ministry in 2021, and Liran Avisar Ben-Horin, who resigned as director general of the Communications Ministry in 2023.
The Times of Israel Community.