The Blogs: The Next Israeli Prime Minister, MK AYELET SHAKED

A potential future candidate for the Premiership? (after PM Netanyahu retires of course). It might just be in order. A new woman PM for Israel. You’ve got to admit: She’s got the guts, she’s got the looks, she’s got the left wing, she’s got the right wingers too, she has us Anglos, and now she may even have the chance.

I don’t normally write about the political future here because Israel runs on miracles every single day, such that so much is always in flux… all the time. For better or for worse, life here is everything but predictable! That being said, we might welcome a new, refreshing leader for Israel, and that would be MK Ayelet Shaked (polite applause please). No, I’m not a political campaign manager (although I did work on the team for US presidential hopeful, Gov. Mike Huckabee), I am an investigative archaeologist, filmmaker, and journalist. As such, as Justice Minister, would she amend the law to accommodate finding ancient Jewish artifacts relating to the Herodian Temple of the Roman Period, 2000 years ago? In other words, would I be allowed to actually display what we find? Perhaps it’s not time for that yet. One thing though is for certain, her love for a greater Jewish Israel shines through, and Israelis love her, Christians (Zionists) love her, and maybe even a couple Muslims too. Very few, but they’re got to be there.

Politically, I personally have 3 heroes that I look up to today. They all happen to be women:

Nikki Haley, the US representative to the UN
Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, Head of Shurat HaDin, Israel
MK Ayelet Shaked, Israeli Justice Minister

Shaked has already shown her spirit and has already made a significant difference in this country of ours, the Good Land. She has shown the courage to face our enemies – within and without, sticking up for the rights of our citizens in Judea and Samaria, and she has dared (and succeeded!) to kick some serious butt to make changes at the head of the snake, i.e. -the Supreme Court. And, she can speak a half-decent English to boot.

So, practically speaking, what are the chances of Shaked getting in as the potential leader of the State of Israel? Indeed, I see her sweeping the competition, like her namesake Ayelet, which was another name for Queen Esther (see the first verse of Psalm #22). She might even beat her party chief, Naftali Bennet (who would also be quite good by the way). The only complication however, is that Shaked would technically have to switch over somehow from Bayit Hayehudi/Jewish Home into Likud. Is that even possible? Then again, anything is possible when it comes to Israeli politics. The best scenario then would probably be for those two Conservative parties to unite. If that were to happen, I think that Shaked would face opposition at the outset, but at the end of the day, make a better PM than let’s say, Nir Barkat, for instance. In theory, Barkat could take over the Justice Ministry portfolio, and I’m willing to bet that Bennet would make for a terrific Foreign Minister.

For those naysayers that will shout that Shaked is too young, with no previous experience in the military, etc. (you need war feathers before becoming Chief of the Tribe), I say to you that Donald Trump had no political experience either before becoming the US President, yet he has shown to be the best President since Ronald Reagan (who by the way, was an actor), and arguably since Abraham Lincoln himself.

I happen to be a descendent of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, and my personal view is that Ms. Shaked is one of the few remaining true Zionists that we have today in Israeli politics. Looking forward to her campaign.

Go Girl!

Israeli Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked attends a Constitution, Law, and Justice, Committee meeting. Photo courtesy of Yonatan Sindel