Poll: Justice minister most admired politician in Israel

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is the most widely admired politician in Israel, according to a recent survey.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is the most widely respected politician in Israel, according to a survey conducted by website Lady Globes with the goal of assessing public attitudes to the country’s politicians.

The minister was chosen as the most admired by 18 percent of those polled. It’s the second year Shaked was picked for the top spot, beating her last year’s result of 16 percent. Shaked is most popular among men (26%) compared to women (17%).

The survey also included Arab voters. Although Shaked won 22 percent of the Jewish vote, not one of the Arab respondents chose her, Lady Globes reports.

Shaked is a co-founder of the New Right party with Education Minister Naftali Bennett. The two broke away from the Jewish Home party in December.

Although Bennett is the principal leader of the new party, in a nod to Shaked’s popularity her name appears first on campaign posters.

Second place in the survey went to Knesset Member Orly Levy-Abekasis with 13 percent. She currently serves as an independent member of Israel’s parliament, having broken away from the Israel Beiteinu party. Levy-Abekasis has formed her own party, Gesher, which recent polls show winning four seats in the April elections.

Likud member and Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev was selected by 12 percent of those polled, followed by Labor party MK Shelly Yachimovich with six percent, Lady Globes reports. Yachimovich was recently selected as opposition leader by Labor party chairman Avi Gabbay.

The survey took place in early January through a representative online sample of 604 respondents aged 18 and over, representing all segments of Israel’s population that goes online, including the Arab sector.