Michal Shir

{{Infobox officeholder

|image = מיכל שיר.jpg

|caption = Shir in 2019

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|11|18|df=y}}

|birth_place = Tel Aviv, Israel

|death_date =

|death_place =

|office1=Faction represented in the Knesset

|subterm1 = 2019–2020

|suboffice1 = Likud

|subterm2 = 2021–2022

|suboffice2 = New Hope

|subterm3 = 2022–

|suboffice3 = Yesh Atid

}}

Michal Shir Segman ({{langx|he|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. She was placed twenty-ninth on the Likud list for the April 2019 elections,[https://bechirot21.bechirot.gov.il/election/Candidates/Pages/OneListCandidates.aspx?LPF=Search&WebId=6adadc15-e476-480b-9746-04490aedeb0f&ListID=ba72a662-765c-45af-9d48-fb68080956af&ItemID=99&FieldID=ListNickname_GxS_Text Likud list] CEC a slot reserved for representative of Tel Aviv District.{{cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.co.il/.premium-1.6914403|title=חברי הכנסת החדשים בליכוד: יו"ר ועד עובדי רשות התעופה ולוביסטית מצליחה|work=Haaretz|date=7 February 2019|language=he}} 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."{{cite news |author=Sokol, Sam|author2=TOI Staff |title=Likud MK Slams Netanyahu |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-mk-slams-netanyahu-for-dismissing-criticism-of-virus-response-as-political/ |accessdate=17 July 2020 |work=The Times of Israel|date=17 July 2020}} In December 2020, she announced that she would join Sa'ar's new party, New Hope and resigned from the Knesset.{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/mk-michal-shir-becomes-latest-likud-defector-to-join-gideon-saar/|title=MK Michal Shir becomes latest Likud defector to join Gideon Sa'ar|work=The Times of Israel|date=22 December 2020|accessdate=21 December 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/knesset-to-dissolve-ahead-of-march-23-election-652932|title=Netanyahu-Gantz gov't fails, Israel heads to polls|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=22 December 2020|accessdate=25 December 2020|first=Gil|last=Hoffman}} 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.{{cite web |title=Three new Members of Knesset are sworn in|url=https://www.knesset.gov.il/en/news/pressreleases/pages/press12721b.aspx|date=12 July 2021|accessdate=21 January 2025|work=Knesset}} 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.{{cite web |author=Eliav Breuer |title=MK Michal Shir leaves New Hope for Yesh Atid|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-713551|date=31 July 2022|accessdate=31 July 2022|work=The Jerusalem Post}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/meet-the-new-mk-michal-shir-of-likud-586911 |title=Meet the new MK: Michal Shir of Likud|first=Lahav|last=Harkov|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=15 April 2019|accessdate=22 December 2020}}