Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that his Likud party has reserved the 11th spot on its slate for the 26th Knesset for Elisha Medan, a reservist soldier who was critically wounded during operational activity in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza and lost both legs. Medan is one of the founders of Avigayil, a community in the Hebron Hills region.
The party subsequently announced three additional reserved candidates. Among them is Talik Gvili, mother of Staff Sergeant Ran Gvili, a commando fighter who fell defending Israel, was abducted to Gaza, and whose body was later returned to Israel.
In its statement, Likud said that "throughout this journey, Talik and the Gvili family demonstrated extraordinary strength, deep faith, and unwavering determination even in the most difficult moments. Talik carried Ran's memory with pride, spreading the story of his heroism, his love for the state, and his Zionist values. Talik has entered deeply into the hearts of Israelis and many people around the world. Talik, a torch lighter at national ceremonies, is a symbol of strength, dedication, and commitment to the State of Israel. Talik has transformed her personal story into an inspiring public mission."
Attorney David Pater has also been reserved a spot on the Likud list. Pater holds undergraduate and graduate law degrees from Bar-Ilan University, where he is currently completing his doctoral studies.
Peter is a second-generation Holocaust survivor, born in Hungary in the final years of the Communist regime to parents who were raised under that system. At eighteen months old, he immigrated with his family to Israel, first to the absorption center in Mevasseret Zion and then to Haifa. His family's journey from life under Communist rule to the free and sovereign State of Israel continues to shape his worldview.
According to Likud's statement, "over the years he has acquired extensive legal and public experience in constitutional, public, and commercial law, in research and litigation, and has dedicated his work to addressing fundamental questions of governance, law, freedom, and democracy in the State of Israel. Attorney Peter brings legal depth, a sense of mission, and a deep connection between the story of the Jewish people and the State of Israel to his work."
The fourth reserved candidate is retired Colonel Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (known as Habitachonistim in Hebrew). Avivi served in the IDF in various senior positions including Deputy Comptroller of the Defense Establishment, Chief of Staff to the IDF Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander of the Gaza Division, Commander of the Shagay Brigade, Commander of Battalion 605, and Commander of the Combat Engineering School.
Avivi was born in Jerusalem and spent his childhood in various countries around the world due to the diplomatic postings of his father, Pinchas Avivi, who served for many years as a diplomat and ambassador. At age 18, Avivi returned to Israel as a lone soldier, enlisted in the IDF as a combat fighter in the Combat Engineering Corps, and climbed the command ladder over the years to the rank of colonel.
Likud's statement noted that "Avivi and the Israel Defense and Security Forum support Prime Minister Netanyahu's security doctrine, which places at its center the principles of decisiveness, initiative, and Israel's security independence."
