Yonatan Shalev
Yonatan Shalev | |
|---|---|
יונתן שלו | |
.JPEG) Shalev in 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jonathan Shalev October 12, 2002 |
| Citizenship | Israel • United States |
| Party | Bennett 2026 |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Gabriela Shalev (paternal grandmother) Naomi Tsur (maternal grandmother) |
| Education | Rabin Pre-Military Academy |
| Occupation | Social activist |
Yonatan Shalev (Hebrew: יונתן שלו; born Jonathan Shalev; 12 October 2002) is an Israeli activist and founder of "Shoulder to Shoulder", which represents reservists to advocate for an end to exemptions from military service. In April 2026, Shalev announced his entry to politics and joined the Bennett 2026 party.
Early life
[edit]Yonatan Shalev was born on 12 October 2002 in Baltimore.[1] At the age of 7, Yonatan moved with his family to New York City where he lived with his grandmother for a time.[2] Five years later, Shalev's family returned to Israel and settled in Zikhron Ya'akov.[3]
Shalev's parents are Professor Eran Shalev and enterprenuer Michal Tsur.[a] His paternal grandmother, Gabriela Shalev, is an Israeli Academic and Diplomat who served as Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations between 2008 and 2010.[4] His paternal grandfather, Sgan Aluf Shaul Shalev, was a Battalion commander who died in the Yom Kippur War.[5] His maternal grandmother, Naomi Tsur, served as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem between 2008 and 2013, and his maternal grandfather, Haim Tsur, was a radio producer and violinist.[6]
After completing high school, Shalev studied at the Rabin Pre-Military Academy and served in the Maglan in 2021. In 2024, he became a reservist[7] and participated in operations in the Gaza war and the Hezbollah–Israel conflict.[8]
Career
[edit]Social activism
[edit]In 2023, Shalev, together with Ido Keren, founded the "Shoulder to Shoulder" movement, which works to promote equality in burden for military and civilian service.[9][10][11] The movement is led by Hananiah Ben Shimon, former chairman of the Jewish Home youth and the Sovereignty Youth.[12] The organization supports the enforcement of existing laws on conscription, and combines protest activity with the organization of public events. Shalev operates his activism in the Knesset and public arena, including participating in Knesset committee discussions, meeting with elected officials, and sharing the movement's platform in mass media. In November 2024, he appealed to the Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi and called for the expansion of mandatory conscription and the reduction of economic incentives for populations that do not serve.[13]
In January 2025, during a discussion in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Haredi conscription, Shalev was removed from the hall after he erupted at the comments of committee members.[14] Following the incident, defense Minister Israel Katz originally announced that he would meet with Shalev, but the meeting was later canceled.[15] Shalev also coordinated a series of protest actions, including a march from the Kastel to Jerusalem with the participation of about 1,000 people, and a protest in Bnei Brak calling for the enactment of a conscription law.[16]
In July 2025, he participated in a press conference of service organizations against conscription exemptions. In the same year, he participated in the Security and Service Conference of the Yedioth Ahronoth and INSS.[17] He also spoke at a rally at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.[18]
In March 2026, it was announced that businessman Assaf Rappaport, who headed a group of investors that acquired control of Channel 13, offered Shalev a contract to join the channel as a host and commentator.[19][20]
Political career
[edit]In April 2026, Shalev announced that he has joined Bennett 2026 and will be competing in the 2026 legislative election. He states that he will focus on changing national priorities, with an emphasis on strengthening the status of the younger generation and securing the future of the country through promotion of a framework of meaningful service and equality of burden for all sectors of Israeli society.[21][22]
Political positions
[edit]Military conscription
[edit]In a 2025 op-ed published in Israel Hayom, Shalev addressed the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Boaz Bismuth, and claimed that Likud has changed from a party of the state to one that promotes personal politics.[23]
On another occasion, Shalev criticized political and media elements, including Channel 14, claiming that the channel encourages participation in incitement to evasion and does not condemn harm to state security.[2]
Gaza war
[edit]During the Gaza war, Shalev criticized the political leadership for the conduct of the war. Shalev pointed to the lack of strategy leading to repeated incursions and placing reserves in unnecessary risk and attrition.[24]
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
[edit]In an interview on Channel 12, Shalev publicly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state.[25] In private recordings at a conference of activists from Together, Shalev stated his belief that the Palestinian Authority is too weak to be a security partner in Area A, and that he presented a vision where there is a body caring for the Palestinian population in the West Bank that Israel can reach security agreements with.[26]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Tsur was a business partner of Naftali Bennett's, and the two were co-founders of Cyota
References
[edit]- ↑ Ganot, Gal (3 October 2025). "Grandson of Yom Kippur War commander carries on his legacy: 'Thanks to heroes we have a country". Ynet.
- 1 2 "מילואימניק חושף את מה שהמדינה מנסה להסתיר: "גרתי בבית של נתניהו"" [Militant reveals what the state is trying to hide: "I lived in Netanyahu's house"]. Ma'ariv.
- ↑ "מילואימניקים ונכי צה"ל קראו לשוויון בגיוס - בלב בני ברק: "מי יחליף אותנו מתחת לאלונקה?",". Ynet. 21 April 2025.
- ↑ Guetta, Or (2026-04-15). "יונתן שלו ו'כתף אל כתף' מצטרפים לבנט: "ראינו שההנהגה לא סופרת אותנו"". Davar (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ↑ Ganot, Gal (2025-09-30). "הסבא נפל בכיפור, הנכד המילואימניק מוביל את מאבק הגיוס: "בזכות הגיבורים יש לנו מדינה"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ↑ Ucko, Gideon (2026-02-27). "איך הפך לוחם מגלן בן 23 לקול הכי בולט נגד ההשתמטות". N12 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ↑ "מחאת הצעירים שנולדה מתוך כאב" [Youth protest born out of pain]. TheMarker.
- ↑ "יונתן שלו, מייסד ארגון ״כתף אל כתף״: משדה הקרב בלבנון ועזה למאבק על גיוס לכולם במסדרונות הכנסת #58" [Yonatan Shalev, founder of the "Shoulder to Shoulder" organization: From the battlefield in Lebanon and Gaza to the struggle for conscription for all in the corridors of the Knesset #58]. Raz Zauber podcast – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Shoulder to Shoulder".
- ↑ Liel, Dafna (16 July 2025). "הנושאים בנטל: המילואימניקים שצריכים לרדוף אחרי הפוליטיקאים כדי שיקשיבו להם" [The Burden Bearers: The Reservists Who Have to Chase the Politicians to Get Them to Listen] (in Hebrew). Mako.
- ↑ Almadon, Eitam (21 August 2025). ""מאיפה החוצפה לקרוא לנו שוב?": זעקת המילואימניקים שקיבלו שוב צו 8" ["Where does the audacity come from to call us again?": The cry of the reservists who received Order 8 again] (in Hebrew). Mako.
- ↑ "חנניה בן שמעון, ממובילי "כתף אל כתף": "החרדים רוצים חוק בלוף"" [Hananya Ben Shimon, one of the leaders of "Kefat El Kefat": "The Haredim want a bluff law"] (in Hebrew). Israel Army Radio. 12 August 2025.
- ↑ ""דורשים להימנע ממתן תמריצים כלכליים למשתמטים": תנועה חדשה של חיילים משוחררים בפנייה לרמטכ"ל" ["Demand to avoid providing economic incentives to draft evaders": A new movement of discharged soldiers appeals to the Chief of Staff] (in Hebrew). Israel Hayom. 3 November 2024.
- ↑ "לוחם מגלן התפרץ בדיון על חוק הגיוס: "אנחנו צריכים להודות לחרדים?"" [Magellan fighter erupts in debate on draft law: "Should we thank the Haredim?"] (in Hebrew). Walla. 22 January 2025.
- ↑ Ganot, Gal (21 January 2025). "המילואימניק שהוצא מדיון בכנסת קבע פגישה עם שר הביטחון" [The reservist who was removed from a Knesset debate, scheduled a meeting with the Defense Minister] (in Hebrew). Ynet.
- ↑ Tamari, Liran; Hilai, Sivan; Cohen, Gilad (2 April 2025). "רק 205 חרדים גויסו, דתיים וחילונים קראו בעצרת בי-ם: "זה לא פוליטי - אלא ערכי"," [Only 205 Haredim were recruited, religious and secular people chanted at the rally in Jerusalem: "This is not political - but values"] (in Hebrew). Ynet.
- ↑ "מתגייסים למצוא פתרונות | כותרות ועידת הביטחון והשירות," [Mobilizing to find solutions | Security and Service Conference headlines] (in Hebrew). Ynet. 15 July 2025.
- ↑ "יונתן שלו לוחם מילואים של יחידת מגלן וממייסדי ״כתף אל כתף״, אתמול בעצרת בכיכר החטופים" [Yonatan Shalev, a reserve soldier of the Magellan unit and one of the founders of "Shoulder to Shoulder", yesterday at the rally in the Abductees' Square]. Hostages and Missing Families Forum. 20 July 2025 – via Facebook.
- ↑ Levinger, Yehuda (24 March 2026). "אסף רפפורט במהלך ראשון: חוזה עתק למוביל המאבק נגד חוק הגיוס" [Assaf Rapaport in the first round: A huge contract for the leader of the struggle against the draft law]. ice.
- ↑ "אסף רפפורט במהלך ראשון: חוזה עתק למוביל המאבק נגד חוק הגיוס". Ice (in Hebrew). 2026-03-24. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ↑ "Bennett names 23-year-old reservist activist Yonatan Shalev to party slate". Times of Israel. 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "'Call of the hour': Major youth group backs Bennett ahead of elections, joins 'Bennett 2026' party". Jerusalem Post. 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Shalev, Yonatan (1 August 2025). "ח"כ ביסמוט - בְּחַר ללכת בדרך הישראלית" [MK Bismuth - Free to follow the Israeli path] (in Hebrew). Israel Hayom.
- ↑ Shalev, Yonatan (24 July 2025). "אדלשטיין הודח כי הוא עמד על עקרונות הביטחון של ישראל," [Edelstein was removed because he stood by Israel's security principles] (in Hebrew). Israel Hayom.
- ↑ "פגוש את העיתונות 30.05.26 לצפייה ישירה" [Meet the Press 30.05.26 for live viewing] (in Hebrew).
- ↑ "לפיד הוריד אותנו בסקרים": הקלטות בלעדיות של יונתן שלו, המועמד הצעיר של בנט, באתר" ["Lapid brought us down in the polls": Exclusive recordings of Yonatan Shalev, Bennett's young candidate] (in Hebrew). i24News. 15 June 2026.