Israel is known among boomers worldwide for being populated by IDF babes, and the country’s politics is no exception. Whether it’s former Deputy Speaker Orly Levy, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, or Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, the Knesset is bursting with former IDF women who would catch a red-blooded man’s gaze.
Shaked is one of the most based members of the Knesset, as the co-leader of the New Right party, which blends strident nationalism with secularism and a pro-market approach to economics. Her uncompromising toughness towards Palestinian terrorists has drawn criticism from the left, who have dubbed her a “far-right” politician.
On Monday, the party released a sultry new ad portraying the luscious siren Shaked seductively getting ready before walking around her home. A perfume labeled “Fascism” is shown, alongside overlaid text illustrating her achievements as Justice Minister.
These achievements include restricting judicial activism, promoting strong governance, appointing right-wing judges, and transferring powers from the judiciary to the legislature.
At the end of the video, Shaked alluringly sprays herself with the bottle of “Fascism”, before remarking that it “smells more like democracy”.
However, reports suggest that many foreign viewers who did not understand Hebrew were confused by the video, and thus assumed that the video was in fact an endorsement of fascism. Others still understood what the ad meant, but believed there was a hidden darker underlying message, accusing Shaked of trying to associate fascism with sex appeal. Predictably, a cacophony of outraged leftists piled on to the coquettish damsel.
Barak Ravid, a diplomatic correspondent for Israel’s Channel 13 News, described it as “Viktor Orban on steroids”, referring to the ‘illiberal’ Hungarian leader.
Radical pro-Palestinian website The Electronic Intifada described the clip as a “video for her New Right party in which she boasts of its fascism”, accusing Shaked of an “attack on whatever independence Israel’s judiciary still has”.
“Ayelet Shaked just released this election ad, in which she models a new perfume called “Fascism” while detailing all the ways in which she is, in fact, a fascist,” said Asher Schechter of the left-wing Haaretz.
Despite all their talk of female empowerment, the left clearly doesn’t like it when a hot woman expresses independent thought and rejects their dogma. Thankfully, Shaked and the New Right party have thus far refused to apologize in the face of the lynch mob’s barrage of criticism.
“I’m poking fun at myself, and I don’t like the whole exaggerated politically correct conversation,” Shaked told Israeli Army Radio. “People should take themselves a little less seriously.”
“I think we need to shirk political correctness and that the message has been delivered,” she added in remarks to Channel 12 News.