Shaked vows to run ‘until the end’ amid reported pressure to quit

By Carrie Keller-Lynn 25 October 2022, 8:41 pm

Edit

Carrie Keller-Lynn is a former political and legal correspondent for The Times of Israel

Then-Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked at is seen at the B'Sheva newspaper's conference in Jerusalem, on October 23, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked confirms that she’ll head the Jewish Home party in next week’s elections despite its poor polling performance, amid reports that she is facing internal pressure to quit the race.

“I’m here to stop the rumor factory, I’m running until the end,” says Shaked at a press conference in Tel Aviv.

After inheriting the gutted Yamina party from former prime minister Naftali Bennett, Shaked briefly experimented with the now-defunct Zionist Spirit alliance before moving on to lead Jewish Home.

In Israel’s often inaccurate but politically influential election surveys, Jewish Home routinely polls well below the 3.25% electoral threshold to enter Knesset.

“All of the surveys say the same thing, the right wing doesn’t have the seats,” Shaked says, arguing that if her party surprises and makes it into the Knesset, she will hand the right-religious bloc enough seats to clinch a government.

“I’ve always been loyal to my values and I’m not giving up,” she adds.

“Give me the chance to represent you.”