Maj. Shahar Varon will join the Together party’s “team of renewal” and lead their new plan for treating IDF veterans suffering from physical and psychological injuries, Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Sunday.
Varon is on Bennett’s list for the 26th Knesset after spearheading multiple major projects that the party plans to advance after the upcoming October elections.
“Shahar is the salt of the earth, a courageous soldier and commander who led his soldiers through the hell of October 7,” Bennett said. “[He] led the campaign against the draft evasion law and is leading our revolution in the treatment of wounded IDF soldiers.”
Together was formed as a merger between Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid in April 2026, though the joint party has now lost 10 seats in around two months. This week, their numbers dipped to just 18 seats in total.
Gadi Eisenkot’s party, Yashar!, has remained stable in recent polls, though the Bennett-Lapid joint initiative has allowed the party to reach 21 seats in the past week. Likud holds 22.
What is the Varon-led IDF recovery initiative?
The new initiative, to be helmed by Varon, is part of Bennett's broader “New Covenant” plan. On Tuesday, he announced the "New Covenant" as a proposed way to “build Israel from scratch” and “fix every major area of life," if elected. The project includes public eduction reform, a new security cabinet, a crackdown on ultra-Orthodox statehood, and more.
The IDF sub-program will add more than NIS 2 million to state-provided funding for soldier recovery, aiming to establish a national rehabilitation authority and provide medical, legal, and financial support for wounded soldiers.
The program will also streamline the medical committee process, assisting with document collection, obtaining benefits, and prioritizing wounded IDF soldiers for adapted housing programs.
Varon was deployed on October 7 and fought with one of the first forces to enter Kfar Aza. He also founded the reservists organization “Katef le Katef” to support families across Israel.
After being wounded in Gaza City during the Israel-Hamas War, he continued to command his troops, only agreeing to evacuation after the terrorists were killed.
Varon is also undergoing rehabilitation
“As a wounded soldier undergoing rehabilitation himself, Shahar knows the issue firsthand, and he is exactly the right person to lead the rehabilitation project in the next government,” Bennett added.
Varon said he feels that his military experience puts him in a unique position with the Together party.
“I am entering politics from the same place from which I went out to fight on October 7, out of a sense of mission and responsibility toward the country and toward the people who have carried it on their shoulders in recent years,” he said. “I am coming for the soldiers, the wounded, the families, and everyone who gave everything for this country.”