From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Former Yesh Atid Russian-language outreach chief joins Yisrael Beytenu
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The hawkish opposition Yisrael Beytenu party, which aims to represent Israel’s secular Russian-speaking community, announces that Miki Fishman, a former Yesh Atid official who headed the party’s Russian-speaking outreach headquarters, is joining its ranks ahead of the upcoming elections.
Fishman previously served as chief of staff to former tourism minister Yoel Razvozov and ran as a Yesh Atid candidate in municipal elections in Netanya.
Fishman says he is grateful for his years in Yesh Atid and the opportunity to have served as part of the Bennett-Lapid government that briefly unseated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2021-22, wishing his former colleagues success going forward.
However, given Israel’s “complex reality,” he says that Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman is “the most suitable person to lead the State of Israel.”
“Liberman is a determined and strong leader with extensive experience, who will stand firm in the face of Israel’s security, economic and social challenges,” Fishman says.
Liberman has said he is running for prime minister but is not seen as a leading candidate for the role.
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