Three years after the devastating Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, several family members of the victims are entering the political arena, seeking to influence the country’s future through the upcoming parliamentary election later this month.
The assault by Hamas militants resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251 hostages who were taken to the Gaza Strip. The attack targeted multiple communities, including Kibbutz Be’eri and Nahal Oz, where many of those now running for office lost loved ones.
Among those stepping into politics is Michal Hirsch Negri, whose son Roee was killed in Kibbutz Be’eri while resisting the attackers. Roee, a young father recently married and working in high-tech, rallied his comrades in a military reserve unit during the attack. Hirsch Negri, 60, is running with Together, a party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which is part of an alliance of diverse political factions challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition. Hirsch Negri emphasizes a forward-looking approach, drawing on her son’s determination to find solutions amid crisis.
Noam Tibon, 64, a former general and ally of Hirsch Negri, also faced the horrors of the attack firsthand. His son and family were trapped during the assault on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and Tibon and his wife made a dangerous journey from Tel Aviv to rescue them. He describes the events of that day as the gravest failure in Israel’s history and holds the government responsible for lapses in security, though Netanyahu has rejected calls for an independent inquiry.
On the opposite end of the political spectrum, Sharon Sharabi, 51, is running with the right-wing Israel Our Home party. Sharabi lost his brother Yossi during captivity, while his other brother Eli was released in 2025 after nearly 500 days as a hostage. Frustrated by what he perceives as leadership failures in securing the hostages’ release and governing the country, Sharabi has committed himself to restoring what he calls Israel's true values.
Not all candidates from families affected by the attack oppose Netanyahu. Talik Gvili, whose son Ran was the last Israeli hostage whose remains were recovered from Gaza, was personally selected by Netanyahu to join his party slate, expressing confidence in the current prime minister’s leadership and efforts to secure her son’s return.
Meanwhile, Shira Shapiro, 51, a candidate for the centrist Yashar party, founded by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, also lost a son that day. Her eldest child, Aner, a 22-year-old off-duty soldier present at the Nova music festival hit during the attack, died while heroically throwing grenades out of a bomb shelter filled with civilians. Shapiro and other parents have sought to channel their grief into service, advocating for national healing and resilience.
Together, these candidates from diverse political backgrounds reflect a shared commitment to addressing the trauma of October 7 and shaping Israel’s policy moving forward, even as they differ on how best to lead the country in the wake of one of its darkest days.