Former Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry official Inbar Yehezkeli joined the Yashar! party list ahead of the upcoming elections, and will lead its “national rehabilitation plan,” which calls to address the issues of post-trauma victims in the country, Yashar! leader Gadi Eisenkot announced on Thursday.
Yehezkeli, 48, is a Jerusalem resident and mother of two who has held a range of roles in government ministries and in social organizations.
Eisenkot’s Yashar! has emerged as a leading party in the opposition bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in elections expected to take place no later than October.
The Yashar! party stated that the October 7 massacre and the ongoing war since have created an “unprecedented crisis” in the field of post-trauma and mental health, which requires an improved and rapid response.
The party said it aims to establish a comprehensive mental-health treatment system and to provide “optimal and accessible care.”
“The goal is to restore individuals impacted by the war to full functioning,” the party stated.
“This will be accompanied by efforts to build resilience and implement preventive and community-based care,” it added.
Yehezkeli, who will lead the rehabilitation team, held various government roles for over a decade. She served as chief of staff to the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry and as a senior advisor to former finance minister Moshe Kahlon on social issues.
Her work has focused on reducing gaps among people with disabilities, the elderly, new immigrants, and Arab society, as well as combating domestic violence and sexual violence against women and children, Yashar! stated.
Yehezkeli also served as director-general of the Yedid organization, as well as director-general of the Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center.
Prior to that, she served as legal advisor and head of the legal department of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.
Earlier in her career, she worked as an attorney at the Bizchut organization, which promotes the rights of people with disabilities.
Yehezkeli said upon joining the party that for years, social issues in Israel have been neglected. “Now, precisely in light of the events of recent years and following the most difficult war we have ever known, the time has come to rebuild and repair,” she noted.
She explained that the war had caused tens of thousands of Israelis to be added to the cycle of trauma and post-trauma. “They deserve and are entitled to the best possible care. This is an immensely important mission, and we are committed to bringing about fundamental change in it.”
Yehezkeli said that she was committed to building a government that “works for rehabilitation, welfare, and prosperity.”
Eisenkot said that after two and a half years of war, Israel faces a major challenge of national rehabilitation. He explained that the challenge pertained to soldiers returning from battle, disabled IDF veterans, bereaved families, residents of the North and South, children and adults, and many others who “have been affected and neglected in recent years.”
“Inbar brings with her a deep understanding and experience in addressing the social challenges Israel faces, along with creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, and strong execution abilities,” Eisenkot added.
Eisenkot lost his youngest son, Master-Sgt. Gal Eisenkot, in 2023. He was killed in combat in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.
Since then, Eisenkot has said that the loss has pushed him to take action to improve the country, and in September 2025, he launched Yashar! ahead of the elections.
He has also vowed that if elected, he would establish a state commission of inquiry into the government failures during the October 7 Hamas massacre.
Eisenkot adds former Finance Ministry official to party
Eisenkot has announced a group of members who will be on his list. Former Finance Ministry budget division head Shaul Meridor was a new addition on Tuesday.
Meridor joined MKs and former ministers Matan Kahana and Orit Farkash-Hacohen, as well as Inbar Harush Gity, former director-general of the Aharai organization for at-risk youth.
The party stated on Thursday that in the coming weeks, it is expected to announce additional senior figures, as well as younger members, who will join the team leading the party in the upcoming elections.
Rival candidate, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, has also added former government officials to his party list, rather than well-known politicians, as well as a young member, Yonatan Shalev, from the Katef el Katef organization.
Bennett’s party will now run in a joint list named Together with opposition leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, with Bennett at its head.
Eisenkot has been invited by Bennett and Lapid to join the newly merged party.
The Yashar! leader has not accepted the offer and instead has said that the focus should be on gaining as many votes as possible within the opposition bloc to unseat Netanyahu in the elections.