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Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar! Party, pledged during a tour of Druze towns and villages in the Carmel Region on Wednesday to place a member of the Druze ethnic minority in a "realistic" spot on the party's list for the Knesset elections, according to a statement issued by Eisenkot.

The announcement came as Eisenkot also welcomed economist Shaul Meridor to the party's list, bolstering a slate that already includes former ministers and MKs Matan Kahana and Orit Farkash-Hacohen, as well as Inbar Harush Gitti, former director-general of the Aharai organization for at-risk youth.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports from the Jerusalem Post covered the developments. The first, published Wednesday, focused on Eisenkot's pledge to the Druze community, highlighting his meetings with Druze leaders during a tour that included Daliat al-Carmel and Usfiya. The second, published Tuesday, centered on Meridor's joining the party, emphasizing his professional background and his stated motivation to return to public service.

Both articles drew on direct statements from Eisenkot and Meridor, presenting the moves as part of Eisenkot's effort to build a diverse and professionally grounded party list ahead of elections expected no later than October.

Key Claims

  • Gadi Eisenkot pledged to place a Druze member in a realistic position on the Yashar! Party's Knesset list, according to a statement issued Wednesday during his tour of Druze communities in the Carmel Region.
  • During the tour, Eisenkot met with council head Rafik Halabi and other senior Druze community members, as well as Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
  • Shaul Meridor, a Jerusalem-born economist, joined the Yashar! Party list, as announced by Eisenkot on Tuesday. Meridor previously served as director-general of Israel's Energy Ministry and head of the Budget Division, stepping down from the budget role in 2020. Since leaving public service, he has worked as Chief Financial Officer at the hi-tech company Lighttricks.
  • "I always knew I would return to serve the public. After the last few years and especially since October 7, I realized that the time to sit in the stands is over," Meridor said. He added that Israel needs a "deep reform" and that he wanted to join Eisenkot, whom he described as "a leader with a moral backbone, smart, a cool-headed strategist who knows how to analyze problems in depth."
  • Eisenkot said of Meridor's joining: "Shaul Meridor's joining the party is great news for anyone who believes that Israel needs professional, responsible and state-oriented leadership." He called Meridor "a senior economist and Israeli patriot, with extensive experience in public service."
  • Meridor joins three other announced members of the party list as Yashar! positions itself 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.