Bennett List Candidate Ayalon Kovo Targets Economic Fragmentation

Esti Ayalon Kovo, a Jerusalem resident and former diplomat, is running in the 21st slot on the B'Yachad list for the 2026 Knesset elections. The party is led by Naftali Bennett.

Born in Ethiopia, Ayalon Kovo previously served as the head of Israel's Economic Mission in China. She argues that the economic and social friction currently visible in Jerusalem, where the interests of the Haredi community often clash with those of other residents, is becoming a national pattern.

She moved to Jerusalem for family reasons, specifically after her children were accepted to a local school. The family settled in the Beit Hakerem neighborhood. "I couldn't imagine being anywhere else," she said of the city.

Ayalon Kovo cites her children's future as her primary motivation for entering the race. "More than anything, I'm in this for my children," she stated. She believes the country requires immediate repair, effective governance, and thorough plans for basic challenges, asserting that only Bennett can provide them.

The candidate identified two defining issues for the campaign. The first is a lack of leadership that takes responsibility, which she links to failures such as October 7 and the Flydubai hijacking. The second is preserving Israel as a liberal, Zionist, Jewish, and democratic state.

On the state structure, she said the Haredi state-within-a-state that has formed around military enlistment, education, and the workforce must be dismantled. Without this change, she fears the troubling economic, educational, and social trends seen in Jerusalem will spread across the country.

Addressing new immigrants, she urged them to take an active role in shaping Israeli public life. "You didn't come here to sit back and watch Israel's story unfold," she said. "This is your country. Your home." She noted that B'Yachad welcomes anyone seeking change and repair after the difficult past few years.