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Are women being pushed out of Israeli politics?

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February 12, 2020

Are women being pushed out of Israeli politics?

Source: Israel Hayom

By  Naama Lanski,

Last Tuesday morning, the wings of history quietly flapped. MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), until recently the deputy foreign minister, was sworn in for the first time as a minister following her appointment to the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.

And that is how Israel came back to hold one of its own records: Four women serving simultaneously as ministers, two of them appointed ministers in the early days of the 34th government in May 2015: Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, and Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel. Joining them a month ago was Yifat Shasha Biton, named construction and housing minister, and Hotoveli three weeks later.

A long time ago, in the distant past of that same government, then-Habayit Hayehudi and currently Yamina MK Ayelet Shaked served as justice minister, and Yisrael Beytenu MK Sofa Landver was immigration absorption minister.

It could just a game of musical chairs of a caretaker government, orchestrated one month before the general elections – an unprecedented third vote in the span of one year. But despite this current record, female representation in the Israeli parliament stands at just 17%, one of the lowest in the world. Not to mention that the Diaspora Ministry to which Hotoveli was named is one of the most minor ministries. But, just like in the Olympics, in an arena with few records – every win counts.

Click here to read the full article published by Israel Hayom on 12 of February 2020.

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By  Naama Lanski,

Last Tuesday morning, the wings of history quietly flapped. MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), until recently the deputy foreign minister, was sworn in for the first time as a minister following her appointment to the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.

And that is how Israel came back to hold one of its own records: Four women serving simultaneously as ministers, two of them appointed ministers in the early days of the 34th government in May 2015: Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, and Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel. Joining them a month ago was Yifat Shasha Biton, named construction and housing minister, and Hotoveli three weeks later.

A long time ago, in the distant past of that same government, then-Habayit Hayehudi and currently Yamina MK Ayelet Shaked served as justice minister, and Yisrael Beytenu MK Sofa Landver was immigration absorption minister.

It could just a game of musical chairs of a caretaker government, orchestrated one month before the general elections – an unprecedented third vote in the span of one year. But despite this current record, female representation in the Israeli parliament stands at just 17%, one of the lowest in the world. Not to mention that the Diaspora Ministry to which Hotoveli was named is one of the most minor ministries. But, just like in the Olympics, in an arena with few records – every win counts.

Click here to read the full article published by Israel Hayom on 12 of February 2020.

Region
Focus areas