Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party formally submitted its Knesset slate Monday ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, placing former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen in the No. 2 position as the party seeks to cement itself as a leading challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud.

Eisenkot heads the ticket, followed by Cohen. Former minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen is in the third position, while educator and social entrepreneur Adi Altschuler is fourth. The party has already designated Altschuler as its candidate for education minister.

Former Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana takes the fifth spot, followed by former Blue and White MK Chili Tropper at No. 6. Farkash-Hacohen, Kahana and Tropper are all former members of Benny Gantz’s Blue and White who later joined Eisenkot.

Other prominent candidates include Shaul Meridor at No. 7; former Yesh Atid MK and minister Elazar Stern at No. 12; former IDF general and Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Kamil Abu Rukun at No. 13; former Shin Bet and Mossad official Devorah Sharifian Bachar at No. 14; social activist and One Million Lobby founder Alex Rif at No. 15; and former Kulanu MK Roy Folkman at No. 17.

Inbar Harush Giti, who headed the Defense Ministry directorate tasked with promoting the recruitment and integration of Chareidim into the IDF, holds the No. 11 position. She joined Meridor in formally filing the party’s candidate list with the Central Elections Committee at the Knesset.

Yashar also announced 11 honorary candidates who will occupy the final positions on its full 120-member slate. Among them are former hostage Ohad Ben Ami, members of hostage and bereaved families affected by the October 7 massacre and the war that followed, economist Manuel Trajtenberg, former minister Dan Meridor and Adina Bar-Shalom, daughter of Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef Zatzal.

Recent polling has shown Yashar emerging as the largest opposition party and running roughly even with Likud at around 23 to 25 seats.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)