Yoaz Hendel (born May 22, 1975) is an Israeli politician, military historian, author, and Israel Defense Forces reserve officer. A former member of the Knesset and communications minister, he founded the Reservists movement and later became chairman of The Reservists political party.
Hendel was born in Petah Tikva and raised in Elkana in the West Bank in a religious Zionist family. He enlisted in the IDF in 1993 and served in the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit. After officer training, he served as a team and company commander and participated in the 1996 Grapes of Wrath campaign in Lebanon. He left regular service after approximately six and a half years but continued working in Israel’s security establishment and the reserves. He attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and participated in the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead.
Hendel studied history at Tel Aviv University, earning a doctorate on intelligence methods between the Hasmonean and Bar Kokhba revolts. He became a research fellow at the Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies and taught terrorism and guerrilla warfare at Bar-Ilan University from 2009 to 2013. He also worked as a columnist, military commentator, and broadcaster. His books included Let the IDF Win, co-written with Zaki Shalom, and Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War, co-written with Yaakov Katz.
In August 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Hendel director of communications and public diplomacy in the Prime Minister’s Office. Hendel resigned in February 2012 after he and other senior officials reported allegations of misconduct by Netanyahu aide Natan Eshel to the attorney general. Later that year, the Movement for Quality Government named Hendel a Knight of Quality Government. From 2012 to 2019, Hendel chaired the Institute for Zionist Strategies and wrote for Yedioth Ahronoth.
Hendel entered electoral politics in 2019, joining Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem party and the larger Blue and White alliance. He was elected to the 21st Knesset and served across three successive Knessets. In March 2020, Hendel and Zvi Hauser left Telem and formed the Derekh Eretz faction, supporting the Netanyahu-Gantz unity government.
Hendel became communications minister in May 2020. After joining Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party in December, he was removed from the ministry. Still, he returned to the post following the formation of the Bennett-Lapid government in June 2021. His tenure included measures to expand fiber-optic infrastructure, combine internet infrastructure and service purchasing, reduce landline rates, and increase competition in postal services. He resigned his Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law while remaining a minister.
In July 2022, Hendel and Ayelet Shaked formed the Zionist Spirit alliance. The partnership dissolved in September, and Hendel announced that he would not contest the November election.
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Hendel returned to active reserve service and helped form the Be’eri Battalion, composed largely of volunteers above the customary reserve-service age. He commanded the unit during operations in Gaza and northern Israel and organized a broader reservists’ movement that conducted volunteer projects and advocated universal military or national service.
Hendel began establishing The Reservists as a political party in June 2025 and formally announced it that September. The party promoted universal service, a broad Zionist government, and a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures. Its members retained Hendel as chairman in internal elections in June 2026. On July 7, he announced a joint election campaign with former Blue and White lawmaker Chili Tropper, with the two presented as equal partners seeking to form a broad Zionist government.
Sources: “Yoaz Hendel,” Knesset Channel. [Hebrew]
Herb Keinon, “Yoaz Hendel Named Chief Media Adviser to PM,” Jerusalem Post, (August 11, 2011).
Ilan Ben Zion, “Eshel Whistleblower Resigns After Scolded by PM,” Times of Israel, (February 21, 2012).
“Israel’s New MKs Get a Crash Course in Government,” JNS, (April 30, 2019).
Moran Azulay, “Shaked and Hendel Join Forces as the Zionist Spirit Party for Knesset Run,” Ynet, (July 27, 2022).
Assaf Shapira, “Does the Yamina and Derech Eretz Merger Bring More Stability?” Israel Democracy Institute, (July 28, 2022).
Carrie Keller-Lynn, “Minister Hendel Bows Out of Knesset Race, Days After Zionist Spirit Breakup,” Times of Israel, (September 13, 2022).
Yonah Jeremy Bob, “The Be’eri Battalion of Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists Defies Expectations,” Jerusalem Post, (October 23, 2024).
Eliav Breuer, “Yoaz Hendel’s Reservist Group Begins Proceedings to Form New Party,” Jerusalem Post, (June 10, 2025).
Moran Azulay, “Olive Green in the Logo, List of Principles for a Government: Hendel Registers ‘The Reservists’ Party,” Ynet, (September 18, 2025). [Hebrew]
“Results of ‘The Reservists’ Party Primaries Published,” Srugim, (June 17, 2026). [Hebrew]
Shir Perets and Keshet Neev, “Chili Tropper, Reservists Party’s Yoaz Hendel Announce Joint Campaign for Upcoming Knesset Election,” Jerusalem Post, (July 7, 2026).
“Hendel: “We Saw Potential for Eight Seats, but They Frightened Them,””, Israel Hayom, (October 28, 2026). [Hebrew]
Photo: יניב מורוזובסקי, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.