Michal Shir
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019–2020Likud
2021–2022New Hope
2022–Yesh Atid
Personal details
Born (1979-11-18) 18 November 1979 (age 44)
Tel Aviv, Israel

Michal Shir Segman (Hebrew: מיכל שיר סגמן; born 18 November 1979) is an Israeli politician. She is currently a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid, having previously served as an MK for New Hope from 2021 to 2022 and for Likud between 2019 and 2020.

Biography

Shir was born in Tel Aviv, the daughter of Michael Shir, the editor of the Etzbeoni children's newspaper. She grew up in Givatayim and attended Shimon Ben Zvi High School. She joined Likud at the age of 14, and was involved in the establishment of the Ma'ale Yisrael settlement outpost. During her national service, she served in the Bahad 12 training base and then studied for a BA in political science at Bar-Ilan University.

Shir worked with Gideon Sa'ar when he was Likud chairman during the party's time in opposition between 2006 and 2009, and when he became Minister of Education in 2009.[1] She was placed twenty-ninth on the Likud list for the April 2019 elections,[2] a slot reserved for representative of Tel Aviv District.[1] She was elected to the Knesset as Likud won 36 seats, and was subsequently re-elected in September 2019 and 2020.

On 16 July 2020 she made headlines by criticizing Prime Minister Netanyahu's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MK Shir said "I am a proud Likud member," but added that Netanyahu should accept criticism without "accusing anyone who doubts or expresses concern, of being a radical or a leftist."[3] In December 2020, she announced that she would join Sa'ar's new party, New Hope and resigned from the Knesset.[4][5] Placed ninth on the New Hope list for the 2021 elections, she missed out on a seat as New Hope won six seats. However, she re-entered the Knesset in July 2021 as a replacement for Sa'ar, when he gave up his seat under the Norwegian Law.[citation needed] On 31 July, ahead of the 2022 Knesset elections, Shir left New Hope and joined the Yesh Atid party under Yair Lapid, resigning from the Knesset in order to run with her new party.[6] She was placed thirteenth on the Yesh Atid list, and re-elected as the party won 24 seats.

Personal life

Shir is married and has 2 children.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "חברי הכנסת החדשים בליכוד: יו"ר ועד עובדי רשות התעופה ולוביסטית מצליחה". Haaretz (in Hebrew). 7 February 2019.
  2. ^ Likud list CEC
  3. ^ Sokol, Sam; TOI Staff (17 July 2020). "Likud MK Slams Netanyahu". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  4. ^ "MK Michal Shir becomes latest Likud defector to join Gideon Sa'ar". The Times of Israel. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  5. ^ Hoffman, Gil (22 December 2020). "Netanyahu-Gantz gov't fails, Israel heads to polls". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  6. ^ Eliav Breuer (31 July 2022). "MK Michal Shir leaves New Hope for Yesh Atid". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  7. ^ Harkov, Lahav (15 April 2019). "Meet the new MK: Michal Shir of Likud". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 December 2020.

External links


Current members of the Knesset
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