The Yisrael Beiteinu party has announced that Captain (res.) Yisrael Ben Shetrit has joined its ranks.
Ben Shetrit, 40, a resident of Yerucham, served as a deputy company commander in the Alexandroni Brigade reserves and was seriously wounded during an encounter with terrorists in Khan Yunis during fighting in the Gaza Strip.
A member of the Religious Zionist community, Ben Shetrit is married and the father of five. He is also an entrepreneur in the fields of high-tech and innovation. Since his injury, he has been undergoing an extensive rehabilitation process while engaging in public activity aimed at strengthening shared responsibility in Israeli society and advancing the rights of wounded IDF veterans.
Within his political activity in the party, Ben Shetrit is expected to focus on promoting equality in military service, improving support for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) victims, and strengthening assistance for wounded soldiers. He also intends to work toward deepening ties between Israel and Jewish communities in the Diaspora, which he views as an integral part of national recovery.
In a statement, Ben Shetrit said: “I was wounded in battle, but the real battle did not end there. Today’s struggle is about who we are as a society. Since my injury, I have embarked on a journey not only of personal rehabilitation, but of connection-within Israeli society and between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. I see this as a life mission: to build, to connect, and to restore a sense of shared responsibility."
He added that he chose to join Yisrael Beiteinu in order to advance equality in national service and strengthen reservists. “I am joining Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Liberman, to fight for true equality in the burden, to strengthen combat soldiers and those wounded in body and mind, reserve servicemen and women, and to ensure that no one is left behind," he said.
Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman welcomed the move, describing Ben Shetrit as “a brave fighter and a man of values." He added that Ben Shetrit “represents a generation of soldiers demanding justice and equality in sharing the burden," and said the party would work to support IDF soldiers, reservists, and wounded personnel.