The Reservists Party, led by former communications minister Yoaz Hendel, announced on Tuesday that bereaved family members were elected to its leadership following the completion of internal party elections.
Among the bereaved family members chosen for the party’s leadership was Sandra Alon, mother of Sgt. Tomer Keren, who was killed in combat while serving during the Israel-Hamas War.
Alon spoke on her central goal to help bereaved families in the country, speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
“Sadly, I am a primary source. That allows me to help them in ways no one else can,” she said. Among others chosen for the party’s leadership were reservists, a retired Israel Prison Service commissioner, and a representative of the Druze community.
The process for electing the members was carried out by party members who registered over the past few months. Seventy-six percent of eligible members participated in the vote, which was conducted through a remote electronic process, the Reservists Party said.
The party positions itself as a response to the leadership vacuum that followed the October 7 attacks and calls for universal conscription.
Speaking to the Post, Alon explained that she viewed her role in the party as going beyond politics and as a calling to help bereaved families in the country who have tragically lost loved ones. “This was not about politics for me. I was looking for a platform to help, to help people like me, to help reservists, to help wounded soldiers,” she told the Post.
“I was looking for a place where I could both receive support and give support. And Yoaz’s party [The Reservists], from my perspective, truly understands from the ground how hard it is to be a reservist and how difficult it is to live alongside wounded soldiers. I don’t wish for anyone to ever understand the pain I live with. I truly hope I am among the last to experience this.
“But there are people here who can understand bereaved families, and that’s why I decided to be part of the party. To try, from a values-based place, to help reservists, help the wounded, and help bereaved families, because I have lived all of this myself,” she said.
Speaking on the loss of her son during the war, Alon explained that she was left with a choice of whether or not to move forward in the aftermath of the tragedy. “Tomer was a commander in the 51st Battalion, Golani Brigade. He had just completed his training, and they immediately sent him north, near Lebanon. Very quickly, he was appointed as a commander, even though he hadn’t yet had the chance to attend an officers’ course.”
“They recognized his leadership and command abilities,” she explained.
“While he was serving as a commander, they came under heavy fire that evening. He was killed on the spot, and eight others were wounded. He was 20 years old when he was killed. From that day on, I had to decide whether I was choosing life or not,” she said.
“It’s always possible to find criticism, but I choose to focus on the good and to see the glass half full because that’s what my son taught me. To look at what exists, not what’s missing, to believe in us as a people, and to walk with that belief.”
Trusting Hendel with Reservist Party’s leadership
Alon also spoke of her trust in having Hendel as the party’s leader.
“There are very few people who were truly in the field. Yoaz [Hendel] was there; he served many days, many months, almost two years. Only people who were on the ground and understand war, loss, and injury, and the importance of helping those who set aside their families and jobs to give everything to the country, can truly help one another.”
Being in the party’s leadership, Alon said: “I believe I can bring my values and give them firsthand insight into how painful and difficult this is and what we truly need.”
Shlomi Damari, brother of Dan Damari, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7, was also among the bereaved family members elected in the party’s leadership. Speaking to the Post on Tuesday about the party’s election process, Damari said it was conducted democratically and respectfully.
“Activists who have been part of the movement since its early days registered alongside new members. The fact that anyone who identifies with the party’s values could put themselves forward as a candidate is, in my view, a significant development, and it reflects the way the party operates,” he said.
“This approach aims to represent all segments of Israeli society, from reservists to civilians who took responsibility, to those wounded in the war and bereaved families from and since October 7.”
Addressing the inclusion of bereaved families as part of the leadership, Damari underscored their important role in a post-October 7 reality.
“The bereaved families are the people who paid the heaviest price in this war,” he told the Post.
“They also see most clearly the needs of the State of Israel and the failures of October 7 and its aftermath, and they understand the profound need for change and for a major shift in Israel’s national priorities. As a member of a bereaved family myself, I am glad to see that additional bereaved families have joined the leadership.
“Together, we can distill the shortcomings that currently exist within Israel’s political system and bring forward appropriate solutions. Based on the composition of the elected leadership, I see many serious individuals, people who take responsibility not only through reserve service but also beyond their daily struggles. They are stepping into a space that is not always comfortable, but it is the most important place in Israel right now.”