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Jonathan Shalev

Jonathan Shalev is an Israeli activist and politician who co-founded the Shoulder to Shoulder movement and was elected to the 26th Knesset in 2026.

born 2002Founding Shoulder to ShoulderCampaigning for equal service burdenMember of the 26th Knesset

Born: 12 October 2002, Baltimore
Occupation: activist, politician
Party: Bennett 2026

Jonathan Shalev was born in 2002 in Baltimore

Shalev was born on 12 October 2002 in Baltimore. At 7 he moved with his family to New York City, where he lived for a time with his grandmother Gabriela Shalev. The family later returned to Israel and settled in Zikhron Ya'akov.

His father is Professor Eran Shalev and his mother is entrepreneur Michal Tsur. His grandfather Shaul Shalev, a battalion commander, was killed in the Yom Kippur War. His maternal grandmother Naomi Tsur was a deputy mayor of Jerusalem.

After high school he studied at the Rabin Pre-Military Academy. He joined the IDF in 2021 and served in Maglan, then became a reservist in 2024.

In 2023 he founded Shoulder to Shoulder with Ido Keren, a movement that pushes for an equal share of military and civilian service. He took part in Knesset committee debates, led protests, and in January 2025 was removed from a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hearing on Haredi conscription.

In April 2026 he joined Naftali Bennett's party and ran in the Knesset election. He was elected to the 26th Knesset on 4 November 2026. He opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state.