Youngster follows model politicians

A young boy from Haifa has an unusual choice for his favorite television viewing — the Knesset channel, which broadcasts live debates and commentary from the parliament building in Jerusalem.

Amir Eisenbud, 11, told Army Radio on Monday that he first became enamored of Knesset activities when MK Anastassia Michaeli, a former model and a member of the outgoing Yisrael Beytenu faction (she didn’t make the cut for the Likud-Beytenu’s slate ahead of the January 22 elections), poured a glass of water on Labor MK Raleb Majadele in January 2011.

As he delved into the world of politics via the Knesset website, Eisenbud began watching the Knesset Channel, which transmits the antics of MKs in the Knesset plenum and house committee meetings.

While Eisenbud claimed he knows the names of all 120 current MKs, one politician who caught his eye — in additional to Michaeli — is another former model and Yisrael Beytenu member, MK Orly Levy-Abekasis.

“She is a strong parliamentary activist who contributes a lot to children’s rights through her activities in the Committee on the Rights of the Child,” Eisenbud explained.

During the interview, Army Radio contacted Levy-Abekasis so that her young fan could speak with her live on air. The MK (also a former TV host) congratulated the boy on his choice of viewing entertainment, which, she said, was a great alternative to many of the programs shown on television.