Lies, libel and legislation

HOT’s new drama series ‘Shadow Government’ features Ayelet Shaked herself

By AMY SPIRO
Updated: APRIL 26, 2018 04:09
A promo picture for "Shadow Government" (“Shilton Hatzlalim”) (photo credit: COURTESY HOT)
A promo picture for "Shadow Government" (“Shilton Hatzlalim”)
(photo credit: COURTESY HOT)
A leak to the press is just political spin. A minister and his aide are way more than just colleagues. A conversation between friends is secretly recorded.
And a tragic car accident could in fact be a murderous cover-up.
All this and more is going on within the hallowed walls of the Knesset. Only this time, it’s not a parliamentary scandal that’s going to show up on the evening news. It’s a new HOT television drama that explores the dark world of Knesset aides and advisers and the strings they pull behind the scenes.
The show, called Shadow Government (“Shilton Hatzlalim”), will begin airing on HOT on Tuesday.
In trailers released ahead of the premiere, the show appears to have all the trademarks of political scandal ala House of Cards: lies, blackmail, manipulation, affairs, corruption and even murder. And at least one of the parliamentary aides is not at all what they seem to be.
The series stars some of Israel’s most famous faces, including local heartthrob Aviv Alush.
Alush is best known for his role in the Keshet series Beauty and the Baker. But last year international audiences got to see him in American film The Shack, where he played none other than Jesus himself.
Alush is joined in this new show by Chen Amsalem (wife of Maor Zaguri, who has produced several hit HOT shows), recent Independence Day torch-lighter Ze’ev Revach and even child star and singer Noa Kirel.
An unexpected and familiar face will also appear on screen – that of real-life Bayit Yehudi Minister Ayelet Shaked.
“You see,” she congratulates a fellow minister in one scene, “you proved that you can return captives without also freeing terrorists.” And then she tries to poach his assistant.
There’s more than a little bit of irony in the involvement of two scandal- plagued individuals in a series about political machinations and secrets.
Revach, 77, who lit a torch at the official state Independence Day ceremony last week, was hit with a series of accusations of sexual harassment over the past couple of weeks – and references to 2006 complaints. Revach told Walla News last week that the complaints were bogus and he was cleared of any charges.
And while the show was conceived by Haim Avihail, Raz Yuvan and Ram Landes, there was someone else in the writer’s room with a little more political experience: real-life political strategist Moshe Klughaft.
Klughaft has worked on multiple elections for Bayit Yehudi as well as launched attack campaigns for rightwing NGO Im Tirtzu against leftwing NGOs such as the New Israel Fund and Breaking the Silence. And he’s also run campaigns in Kosovo, Austria and Romania, and was recently linked to new Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg’s primary election bid – something she first denied and then admitted.
Shadow Government appears to have all the right components for a juicy, sensational drama.
Of course, for some viewers, it might hit a little close to home.