Hadar Mukhtar Appointed to New Role in Likud Campaign

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may not have granted Hadar Mukhtar the long-awaited "seniority waiver" required to run in the Likud primaries, but Mukhtar — who has stood out over the last two years primarily through provocative videos at anti-government demonstrations — received an official role in the ruling party's election campaign on Thursday. A statement issued on behalf of Likud confirmed that Netanyahu has appointed Mukhtar as head of the youth headquarters for the campaign.

"Hadar, 24, holds a master's degree in computer science, is a graduate of the 8200 unit, and is an opinion leader who will contribute a lot to the campaign," the statement read.

According to political sources, after being barred from running in the primaries, she attempted to move from Likud to Otzma Yehudit. However, she received word yesterday from party chairman Itamar Ben Gvir that he did not intend to reserve a spot for her, despite having considered the matter seriously. Responding to reports regarding the Minister of National Security, she denied seeking other options and wrote on X last night:

"The first thing I did after Likud did not shorten my seniority was to declare everywhere that I am in Likud, that I am a 'Bibist,' and that I will do everything I can to ensure Likud wins. After two years of work, when they didn't even let me run, I came back and said: I am in Likud."

Mukhtar gained prominence through social media and entered politics in 2022. She founded the "Tzeirim Boarim" (Burning Youth) party, which failed to pass the electoral threshold, receiving only 8,800 votes—a meager figure considering the public attention she generated. During that campaign, she famously went on a hunger strike for several days until she collapsed.