Israel's 'Most Beautiful' Lawmakers
By Nathan Burstein
Israel is in constant political gridlock, but at least the country’s lawmakers are good-looking.
So say readers of Spanish newspaper 20 Minutos. They ranked four Israeli politicians among the world’s 54 most beautiful in an online poll published this week. Current Knesset members Orli Levy, Ruhama Avraham Balila and Anastassia Michaeli were joined by former Knesset member Penina Rosenblum on the list, with Levy ranking highest at 14th overall.
Just one country, Spain, placed more politicians on the list, with Israel matching the United States and Mexico with its four. The rankings were restricted to female politicians, and also included former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko (#8), former U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (#24) and former French presidential candidate Segolene Royal (#36). Peruvian congresswoman Luciana Leon topped the list, while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earned the distinction of being its oldest member, coming in 34th at age 61.
Of Israel’s representatives on the list, three are former models, with only Avraham Balila not drawing upon her looks as a previous source of income.
The four Israelis represent a limited range of the political spectrum: Levy and Michaeli hail from the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu, while Avraham Balila and Rosenblum first served in the Knesset as members of Likud. Avraham Balila, the outgoing tourism minister, is now a member of the centrist Kadima party.
Twenty-one of the 120 members of the incoming Knesset are women.
Sarah Palin of the Holy Land
By Gabrielle Birkner
Having dubbed her “The Palin of Israel,” Newsweek looks at the model thin resume of Orly Levy — the fashion plate turned Knesset candidate on the hard-right Yisrael Beiteinu list. Of Levy’s candidacy, the Israeli writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret tells the magazine: “This would be like Paris Hilton going to the Senate. You could make a reality show about this.”
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