From Kfar Aza to Knesset: Alon Futterman’s new mission for unity

When Hamas terrorists attacked Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, the community suffered unimaginable devastation, losing half of its local leadership and emergency responders. Within 24 hours, Alon Futterman—then the CEO of Keren HaYesod—received an urgent phone call from Tami Gottlieb, the kibbutz chairwoman, who had been evacuated under fire to Kibbutz Shefayim.

"She asked if I could come and meet them," Futterman recalls. "I asked what she needed, and she said, 'I don't know.' My answer was: 'Then let's just start.' That was the beginning of the Kfar Aza Foundation."

What began as an emergency response evolved into a comprehensive three-year project to completely rebuild the community. As he steps away from the foundation to run for the Knesset as #29 on the list of former IDF Chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, Futterman reflected on his experience with Kfar Aza, the key to his success in fundraising, and why he felt it was time to attempt to translate his success into the political arena. 

In the chaotic weeks following October 7, establishing stability was the single most vital task. Futterman and his team brought together external professionals and kibbutz residents to build a structured recovery model.

"Living in complete uncertainty, nothing felt logical," Futterman recalls. "Our mission was to create certainty and strong anchors."

The foundation established six core pillars: education, health (focusing especially on mental health), welfare, community, commemoration, and physical rebuilding.

"At the time, physical rebuilding sounded like science fiction," Futterman says. "Today, reconstruction is happening at a rapid pace across the entire Gaza envelope."

To execute the recovery, Futterman had to replace lost leadership. "Around 50% of local leaders were murdered on October 7," he recalls. "We had to find people inside and outside the community to take on these roles."

Rebuilding education meant crafting an entirely new approach to supporting traumatized children. "Every education system aims to prepare kids for life in their country, and for competition in the global market," Futterman says. "That wasn't relevant after October 7. When a child's parents were murdered, you have to ask: Who provides emotional support? How do you train an educator to work with a child who experienced what happened in Kfar Aza?"

Full rehabilitation for Kfar Aza required approximately NIS 500 million, 80% of which has been secured, through philanthropy and state assistance. The remaining NIS 100 million left to raise will also come from a combination of donors and the government.

But Futterman emphasizes that these funds will not merely restore the pre-war status quo. "The Gaza envelope will be different than it was in the past, yet a landscape of inspiration for Zionist pioneers," Futterman asserts. "Our job isn't just moving from negative five to zero – it's building from zero up to eight. We want young families to move to Kfar Aza tomorrow, which requires top-tier education, healthcare, and cultural life."

Futterman applied a similar philosophy when leading rebuilding efforts for Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, after a direct rocket impact damaged a building during the Iran war earlier this year. When funds were raised to replace the damaged structure, the hospital used it as an opportunity to emerge stronger than before, by raising funds also for the Tkuma project– a new 12-story building at the largest public hospital in the South.

"We recognized that now, more than ever, the region needed this," Futterman says of the initiative.

Following a recent speaking tour in the United States, Futterman returned with NIS 14 million raised for southern rehabilitation projects. His secret sauce? Authenticity.

"People want to help," Futterman says. "The key is building real partnerships. A relationship can't be transactional. When someone realizes they are your partner, they will do everything to help. We don't talk about a list of projects; we talk about shared values and ideas."

Futterman's transition to politics stems directly from his experience on the ground.

"There is a direct connection between the last three years and my decision to join Yashar under Gadi Eisenkot," Futterman reflects. "As someone raising three children in Israel, I am deeply concerned about our future. We must secure a strong, Zionist state that unites right and left, religious and secular."

Futterman believes Eisenkot offers a unifying leadership style above sectoral divides. "Gadi speaks a language above group identity," he says. "Leadership in Israel has deepened division. I grew up in Ashkelon in a building with eight families—Ashkenazi, Sephardi, religious, secular—living in harmony. Our national leadership should reflect that."

In this light, Futterman highlighted Yashar's four prerequisites for joining a coalition, which he thinks all Israelis should be able to agree on: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; adhering to the Declaration of Independence; mandatory military or civil service for all 18-year-olds; and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be dismantled.

"I think the political world in Israel offers three paths: there is the political party path, there is the municipal path, and there is the professional path. Over the last 20 years, I was mainly on the professional path, working with all types of people, regardless of party – whether when I was CEO of Keren Hayesod, or the CEO of Telma – and especially over the last three years,” he said.

“I worked very hard to build the reputation I have regarding my ability to execute, my ability to perform. And eventually I reached a stage where I believe we need to take the experience of the last three years and translate it to the level of policy as well—not just to the field where policy decisions are implemented, but to the table where they are being made.”