Tomer Avital

Tomer Avital (; born 2 December 1982) is an Israeli journalist, social activist, and author. He is the founder of Shakuf , an independent media organization focused on government transparency and investigative journalism, and a co-founder of Lobby 99, a public-interest lobbying organization. Avital is known for his reporting on the Knesset, political transparency, lobbying, and the relationship between public institutions and private interests.

Early life and education Avital began his career in journalism after completing his military service. He later studied political science and literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Journalism career

Early journalism Avital worked as a journalist and researcher before becoming a political reporter. He was a researcher for the investigative television program Uvda and later served as a parliamentary correspondent covering the Knesset.

Shakuf became one of the prominent examples in Israel of nonprofit journalism based on reader participation rather than traditional commercial media models.

Avital's involvement in Lobby 99 continued his broader public advocacy work promoting transparency and citizen participation in political decision-making.

Writing and publications Avital has written books and publications dealing with politics, society, media literacy, and critical thinking.

His first book, HaMishkan , published in 2013, is a political thriller set around the corridors of the Israeli parliament and draws on his experience covering the Knesset as a journalist.

In later years, Avital published works focused on misinformation and critical thinking. His book Truth or Fake examines methods for evaluating information, recognizing misleading content, and developing media literacy skills.

Political activity In 2022, Avital ran in the primary elections of the Israeli Labor Party, and published a personal platform.

Avital received 5,763 votes and ranked tenth among all candidates. However, after taking into account various reserved slots on the party list (such as reserved places for the moshav and kibbutz districts), as well as the party's "zipper" method for balancing the number of women and men on the list, Avital was placed 19th on the Labor Party's list for the 25th Knesset.

In January 2026, it was announced that Avital would compete in the primary elections of The Democrats party. The primaries took place in July, with Avital receiving 16,913 votes and ranking 13th among all participants. After the party leader's reserved slot and representation guarantees were applied, he was placed 15th on The Democrats' candidate list for the 2026 Israeli legislative election.

His candidacy represented a continuation of his previous public activity focused on government accountability, transparency, and civic participation.

Awards and recognition Avital has received recognition for his work in journalism, digital media, and public transparency initiatives. He has been featured in Israeli media discussions about new models of independent journalism and citizen-funded media.

His work with Shakuf and transparency initiatives has been cited as part of a broader trend in Israeli journalism toward nonprofit investigative reporting and increased public involvement in the media process.