Ayelet Shaked
Ayelet Shaked is a prominent Israeli politician and former Minister of Justice known for her efforts to reform the judicial system and her leadership within the national-religious and secular right. After a period away from the Knesset, she is currently evaluating her return to the political arena through various potential alliances.
Ayelet Shaked has been a transformative figure in Israeli politics, particularly during her tenure as Minister of Justice (2015–2019). A secular woman who rose to lead national-religious factions, Shaked focused her career on shifting the ideological balance of the Supreme Court and promoting conservative judicial appointments. Her political journey has been marked by a long-standing partnership with Naftali Bennett, with whom she co-founded the New Right party and later served in the 'change government.' Following the 2022 elections, where her 'Zionist Spirit' list failed to cross the electoral threshold, Shaked moved into the private sector but remained a frequent commentator on national affairs. Recently, her name has resurfaced as a pivotal player in the realignment of the Israeli right and center-right. While she has publicly stated a preference for returning to a 'genuine right-wing party,' reports indicate she is in active negotiations with several factions, including Benny Gantz's Blue and White list and Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu. Beyond her legislative record, Shaked has been a target of foreign intelligence operations; in 2026, it was revealed that the Iranian-linked 'Khanzala' cyber group, directed by the late IRGC deputy intelligence minister Seyed Yehia Hosseini Panjaki, successfully breached her mobile device as part of a broader campaign against Israeli leadership. As of September 2026, Shaked is reportedly nearing a final decision on her political future, weighing whether to join an established centrist-security list or help spearhead a new right-wing formation alongside figures like Yuli Edelstein. Her decision is expected to significantly impact the electoral map and the consolidation of the opposition.