Israel Prize winner Adi Altschuler named Yashar’s candidate for education minister

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party has announced that Adi Altschuler, this year’s Israel Prize laureate, will be its candidate for education minister should the party form or join a government.

Experienced educator and social entrepreneur

Altschuler, 39, is a recognised figure in Israeli education and social initiatives. She founded the Krembo Wings youth movement and the Zikaron BaSalon project, which organises intimate Holocaust remembrance events in private homes. She also co-founded Inclu, a network of inclusive schools and kindergartens.

Her public honours include the Israel Prize this year for services to society and education, and the Presidential Medal of Honour in 2023. Eisenkot described her as “one of Israel’s leading figures in education and social affairs,” noting more than two decades of experience.

“We are on the cusp of change, at a historic moment, and I do not have the privilege of standing on the sidelines,”

Those words, from Altschuler after accepting the party’s offer, underline her stated motivations to work “to create a united society” and to pursue “a high-quality, healthy education system that is good for children, families and all educational staff.”

What her appointment signals

The selection is notable for several reasons. It is the first time Yashar has publicly named a member of its electoral slate as its candidate for a specific ministerial post, signalling an early attempt to define policy priorities and personnel ahead of potential coalition negotiations.

Altschuler’s background in inclusive education and grassroots remembrance initiatives points to likely priorities if she were to become education minister: strengthening inclusive provision, raising standards of pupil wellbeing, and using schools as sites for civic and social cohesion. Her emphasis on a system that serves pupils, families and staff suggests a policy approach that balances classroom outcomes with broader social aims.

• Organisations founded/co-founded: Krembo Wings; Zikaron BaSalon; Inclu
• Recent honours: Israel Prize (2026); Presidential Medal of Honour (2023)
• Party role: Yashar’s designated candidate for education minister

Her appointment may also affect how other parties and stakeholders respond during coalition talks. Naming a candidate early can be a bargaining chip in negotiations about portfolios and policy direction, particularly on an issue as politically and culturally charged as education.

Classroom implications and political context

Within schools, ministers shape curriculum priorities, resource allocation and staffing frameworks. An education minister with a long record in inclusive provision could press for new support structures for pupils with additional needs, teacher training in inclusive practice, or incentives for schools to adopt integrated models. However, any substantive changes would depend on the composition of a future government and the compromises of coalition politics.

Altschuler’s reference to a desire for unity and quality may resonate with educators and parents anxious about polarization, yet translating such goals into policy requires ministerial authority and parliamentary backing. As Yashar develops its electoral platform, close attention will be paid to how the party plans to fund and implement reforms, and whether it can persuade coalition partners to accept its education agenda.

For now, the announcement is an early marker of the party’s priorities and a public commitment from a prominent educator to take a frontline political role if asked. It also places Altschuler — already a nationally recognised civic leader — firmly at the centre of debates about the future direction of Israel’s education system.